Amazon combines same day delivery with grocery service

Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 12:24 by Graham Miller

In an attempt to consolidate its delivery offerings, Amazon is apparently set to bring Prime Now and Fresh together as part of a single solution for customers.

Business Insider reports that this decision to consolidate two distinct brands has resulted in some job losses, while the removal of the availability of grocery deliveries via Fresh has been occurring in a number of cities in its native US.

While Fresh may not be ousted altogether, it does look like Prime Now may take the lead and become its flagship delivery service for both general goods as well as groceries.

At the moment there is an extra subscription requirement for customers who want to order groceries via safe shopping online. Experts have questioned whether the e-commerce giant will be able to fulfil Fresh-style orders within the two hour delivery window promised by Prime Now, which could mean yet more reshuffling of what this service involves.

In the UK, Amazon is still a fairly small presence on the grocery delivery scene, with its services only available in a small number of areas. But its acquisition of Whole Foods last year might set it up to play a more significant role over here, as well as in North America.

It is thought that if Prime Now gets more Fresh integration, the number of consumables that are available for same day delivery will increase, although not to the extent that a full grocery shop will be available.

The popularity of click and collect for grocery deliveries in the UK means that consumers are familiar with the concept of ordering via safe shopping online and then getting access to their goods quickly via their local store. Without a dedicated bricks and mortar presence, Amazon faces more of an uphill struggle.