Amazon launched a courier-like service in major US cities on Monday. Prime members can shop from four retail stores: PacSun, GNC, SuperDry, and Diesel – and receive their items the same day.
Amazon lists retail chains Sur la Table and 100% Pure as “coming soon.”
The cities where the “delivery from nearby stores” service is available include parts of Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Seattle, and Washington D.C., as well as Philadelphia, Houston, Jersey City (NJ), and Boca Raton (FL).
Delivery is free for US Prime members with over $25 of qualifying items, and non-Prime members pay a flat fee of $9.99 per delivery order.
Here’s how it works, according to the Amazon website: “When you place an order, store associates will confirm your item, pick, and pack your order in their store branded bags. An Amazon delivery driver will go to the store to pickup your package and deliver it directly to your door.”
Customers must order by 5 pm in order to receive their item by 10 pm.
The flip side of the program is called Amazon Today. Amazon offered the following information for retailers interested in participating: “For businesses with a retail presence in a mall, shopping center, or commercial complex—and an inventory management system in place—the Amazon Today program can help expand your fulfillment options while harnessing the scale and reach of Amazon.”
It further explained: “Amazon Today provides reliable same-day delivery at scale to our enterprise retail partners via our Amazon Flex Driver delivery partners while also offering in-store pickup. Amazon Today includes built-in customer service, real-time inventory, out of stock buffers, and capacity management controls, allowing our partners to take full advantage of their existing technology investments while adding a new sales channel to drive incremental order volume at retail stores nationwide.”
