Amazon launches pilot program to speed up same-day shipping

[Cal Jeffrey]

In context: Amazon's same-day shipping is set to get a whole lot faster. Currently, Prime customers can get free one-day shipping for orders placed before noon, but it only guarantees delivery by 9pm. Soon you may be getting packages even quicker.

On Monday, Amazon announced that it had built "mini-fulfillment centers" in Dallas, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Phoenix that will allow it to deliver packages in a matter of hours in those cities. The pilot program's new delivery schedule can be seen below.

"Up to 3 million items across dozens of categories that are marked 'Today by' can now be ordered for delivery throughout the day—all with the goal of giving Prime members the most convenient shopping experience in retail while saving them time and money. Members can also order as late as midnight and have their orders on their doorstep the next morning before heading out for the day by selecting the 'Overnight by 8am' delivery option. If a customer selects to have their order delivered overnight, drivers will arrive between 4:30am-8am, which is noted on the product detail page and again at checkout."

The faster shipping does not apply to all purchases, but that's not surprising since neither does its current one-day shipping. Reuters notes that the mini-warehouses are much smaller than the e-retailer's other facilities (about one-tenth the size). Still, they will stock about 100,000 products and be located closer to the cities.

Amazon also said it is planning on expanding the program to other locations later this year but did not have anything more specific such as timelines or a potential list of candidate cities. It said that additional same-day orders (up to 3 million) will pass through the warehouses as well.

The prices for faster delivery have not changed. For Prime members it is still free for orders over $35 or $3 extra for smaller orders. For regular customers, same-day shipping is $13.

Masthead credit: JustPixs via Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/84249-amazon-launches-pilot-program-speed-up-same-day.html

 

[ckm88]

If they can achieve this, it would be phenomenal! However, they need to get their current Prime shipping speeds fixed. I still get Prime delivery 3-4 days overdue sometimes.

 

[Morris Minor]

Had a good one the other day, ordered a box of silver rizla and for some reason they put on an age restriction! its paper... so the amazon delivery guy come round, asks me for id. Now I'm in my 40's, 6'4 with a beard, I'm clearly over 18. the guy wouldn't give me the parcel without showing him id, I told him to f off lol crazy

 

[Gotit4cheap16]

This sounds promising. Lets see how it plays out.

 

[taylor1277]

If Amazon wants to do better on delivery then maybe you ought to put tracking devices on their trucks. I live within 26 minutes from an Amazon depot that my order was coming out of, I didn't get it till 3:30 in the afternoon. You would think they would have a computer generate maps of deliveries on the truck with today's technology and it does exist if they use it. This was really delivered by UPS which also should have tracking devices, I watched the person online delivering parcels their scanning stopped at 10:30am and resumed at 1:12 in the afternoon. HMMMM wonder why your packages aren't getting delivered, hommies at home shacking up with his girl for a few hrs.

 

[taylor1277]

And this chart they have 5pm to midnight delivered overnight by 8 am does that mean parcels will be left on your porch for people to steal overnight, not a good job or great job, and if you deliver overnight and ring my doorbell at 2am be prepared for me to answer the door with my Colt 45 and I am not talking beer.

 

[taylor1277]

How about using Sears store front for Amazon fullfillment centers, truckers can pick up and drop off at the rear of the store, people can come and pick up their packages too if they want