Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Anne D’Innocenzio at The Associated Press is the basis of this AI-assisted article.
Amazon has launched a major expansion of its grocery delivery service, allowing Prime members in more than 1,000 cities to order fresh groceries alongside regular merchandise through its same-day delivery platform.
The service, which offers free delivery on orders over $25 for Prime members, represents Amazon’s most significant grocery expansion to date and integrates thousands of perishable food items into its existing logistics network. Here are some key facts:
• Service availability: Amazon’s grocery same-day delivery is now available in more than 1,000 cities and towns, with plans to expand to more than 2,300 locations by year-end.
• Pricing structure: Prime members receive free same-day delivery on grocery orders over $25, with a $2.99 fee for smaller orders, while non-Prime customers pay $12.99 regardless of order size.
• Market impact: Competitor stocks (Walmart, Kroger, Target) fell in early trading following the announcement, while Amazon shares rose 1%.
• Integration benefits: Customers can now combine groceries with non-food items in a single cart and checkout, ordering items like milk with electronics or produce with books.
• Previous limitations: Before this expansion, Prime members’ grocery orders were only fulfilled through Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods stores.
• Financial scale: Amazon generated more than $100 billion in gross sales of groceries and household essentials last year, excluding Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh sales.
• Infrastructure investment: The company announced a $4 billion investment in June to triple its delivery network size by 2026, focusing on small towns and rural communities.
• Technology enhancement: Amazon is implementing artificial intelligence to predict local customer preferences and stock community-specific popular items alongside targeted products.
READ MORE: Amazon expands its perishable delivery service, putting pressure on traditional grocers
This article is written with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence based solely on Washington Times original reporting and wire services. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Ann Wog, Managing Editor for Digital, at awog@washingtontimes.com
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