Amazon Now: Philly residents to get deliveries within 30 minutes
Amazon has launched its fastest delivery option in Philadelphia, bringing 30-minute shipping for groceries, household goods, electronics and some over-the-counter medicines to customers across the city.
The new service, called Amazon Now, became available Tuesday in Philadelphia as part of a limited rollout that also includes Seattle, Atlanta and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Customers can access it through Amazon’s app and website, where eligible items are marked under the new delivery option.
For Prime members, delivery costs $3.99. Customers without Prime pay $13.99.
Amazon said the service relies on a network of smaller fulfillment sites placed closer to homes and workplaces, a model designed to speed up the final leg of delivery and cut order times to 30 minutes. The company did not disclose where those facilities are located in Philadelphia.
The expansion marks another shift in how Amazon is reshaping its retail footprint in the region. Earlier this year, the company closed its Amazon Fresh stores, which had offered cashierless grocery shopping, and said it would instead put more emphasis on delivery services and Whole Foods locations.
The Philadelphia rollout also arrives at a politically notable moment. City Council is weighing Mayor Cherelle Parker’s proposal for a 25-cent tax on shipments from Amazon and other retailers, a measure that officials say could raise roughly $15 million annually for pothole repairs and street maintenance.
For local shoppers, though, the immediate change is simple: the race for convenience just got even faster.
Amazon Now: Philly residents to get deliveries within 30 minutes was originally published on rnbphilly.com
