Shopping online doesn’t have to be very difficult. Amazon understands this and continues to make the online shopping experience worthwhile for their customer. It is their need to give customers the convenience that birthed Amazon’s same delivery policy. The question is how does same-day delivery work?
The answer to the question above will be the focus of our article. We will also look at the cost of same-day delivery, locations that offer same-day delivery and so much more.
Meanwhile, take a look at our table of contents for other things to expect in this article:
Table of contents
How Amazon Same-Day Delivery Works
Millions of products available on Amazon, spanning categories like beauty, home, pets, and apparel, qualify for Same-Day Delivery. Additionally, we have collaborated with local retail establishments to provide the option for Same-Day Delivery or convenient pickup through the Same-Day Store.
To check the availability of Same-Day Delivery in your vicinity, you can visit amazon.com/samedaystore. Explore items based on categories, price ranges, and participating retail stores. Keep an eye out for indicators such as “free delivery today” or “free pickup today” next to the product name while browsing Amazon.
If the product is eligible for Same-Day Delivery, you will find an order countdown timer indicating the time remaining to place the order for same-day receipt.
Your order summary will display the estimated delivery time or the pickup readiness time for your convenience.
How Does Same-Day Delivery Work? Is It Free?
In most cities, Same-Day Delivery is free for Prime members on orders over $25. For a $2.99 extra, you can still select Same-Day Delivery even if your order doesn’t match the minimum. There is one exception: shipping on Amazon gift cards is always free.
For an additional $9.99, you can select Same-Day Delivery even if you’re not a Prime member. Shipping for Amazon gift cards is an exception, and same-day delivery costs just $3.99.
Where is Same-Day Delivery available?
More than 90 American metro cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando, Detroit, Miami, and Dallas, offer same-day delivery. To find out if you reside in an eligible zip code and shop for eligible items, make sure to update your addresses.
What retail stores participate In the Same Day Delivery?
In more than 100 U.S. metro regions, a number of your favorite retail stores, including Fabletics, Sur La Table, BC Surf & Sport, GNC, PacSun, 100% Pure, Athletic Annex, SR Max, and The Inspiration Co., provide same-day delivery or pickup. What stores are available in your area will vary.
Can you return the same-day delivery orders?
Yes, just as with any other Amazon order, you may return most products for Same-Day Delivery. To begin the return process, simply go to your orders. We currently allow returns for orders placed with participating stores in-store.
The Competition for Same-day Delivery
While achieving same-day delivery presents challenges, various companies are actively pursuing this service. Google, a formidable online presence, is entering the fray with its initiative called Google Express. Unlike Amazon, Google Express allows customers to order through its website and select a specific four-hour delivery window.
Google fulfills orders through local retailers, resulting in varying store availability and inventory based on the location. Currently available in select areas such as Manhattan, Chicago, Boston, Washington, D.C., West Los Angeles, and parts of the San Francisco to San Jose region, Google Express membership costs $95 annually or $10 monthly for free same-day or overnight delivery on orders over $15.
Similarly, Wal-Mart, with its “Wal-Mart Grocery” service, is leveraging its extensive network of over 5,200 stores for same-day delivery. Though initially limited to locations like San Jose, Denver, Phoenix, Huntsville, and Bentonville, Wal-Mart Grocery allows customers to order online, and pricing is determined by the chosen delivery time slot.
Beyond these major players, independent delivery services are emerging as intermediaries between retailers and customers. Companies like Instacart employ on-demand couriers to fetch and deliver items purchased through their online store.
Meanwhile, services like Deliv collaborate with retailers to incorporate a same-day delivery option on the store’s website, with contract drivers completing the delivery process. Despite current limitations in delivery areas and product selections, these companies aspire to expand their reach in the future, mirroring the ambitions of Amazon.
Same-day Delivery: How It Started and Where It’s Going
With good reason, same-day delivery is referred to as the “holy grail” of online shopping. Brick-and-mortar retailers might be forced out of business if an online retailer like Amazon could find out how to provide a large assortment and transport purchases anywhere in the world for a reasonable price in a few of hours.
The pursuit of same-day delivery has led to the demise of numerous businesses. Consider Kozmo.com as an example. When the business was founded in 1998, it offered to deliver anything clients in six markets wanted to their front door in an hour or less.
However, consumers were purchasing candy bars for significantly less than the real cost of shipping because there was no minimum order requirement. Customers resisted the company’s attempt to impose a shipping fee, and Kozmo quickly collapsed in one of the largest dot-com collapses [source: Stahl].
When Amazon tested same-day delivery for the first time in 2009, they had to figure out a way to deliver products fast without going bankrupt. They began slowly, launching the service in just seven cities and charging $6 for Prime members and $15 for non-members, maybe due to past mishaps [source: Stone].
Customers were utilizing the service to a great extent by 2014, purchasing ten times as many things for same-day delivery that year compared to the year before [source: Chang]. That degree of success probably contributed to the free option’s introduction in May 2015 across 14 cities.
What’s coming up for same-day delivery on Amazon? They will undoubtedly want to grow the service as other retailers become more competitive. They’re also experimenting with services like Prime Now, which they currently provide in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami, and Baltimore, and which might cut delivery times down to an hour [source: Amazon Prime Now].
And then there’s the well-known Prime Air, which claims to use drones to deliver things in 30 minutes or less [source: Prime Air]. The Federal Aviation Administration has not yet granted its regulatory certification, nevertheless. We’ll have to wait, god forbid, two whole days or at least an hour for Amazon orders till then.
How Does Same Day Delivery Work: Conclusion
The pursuit of same-day delivery has become a competitive frontier, with major players like Amazon, Google, and Walmart, as well as independent delivery services, vying to offer efficient and prompt services to consumers.
While each company employs distinct approaches, such as Amazon’s vast network and proprietary infrastructure, Google’s collaboration with local retailers, and Wal-Mart’s utilization of its extensive store network, the common goal is to provide customers with the convenience of receiving orders on the same day.
As technology continues to advance and delivery services evolve, the landscape of same-day delivery is likely to expand, offering consumers greater options and convenience in their online shopping experiences.
References
- https://www.aboutamazon.com -How to get your Amazon purchase delivered in just hours with Same-Day Delivery
- https://money.howstuffworks.com – How Amazon Same-day Delivery Works
- https://www.instacart.com/help
Read Also
