Clearly keen to start small, the service launched for addresses in just one Manhattan zip code, with bike messengers transporting the goods to customers in super-quick time.
The latest news is that it seems to be going well, as the online retail giant recently expanded the service – to the rest of Manhattan.
Admittedly, you might call this a “tentative” expansion, but it at least shows the company is happy with the initial operation of its one-hour delivery initiative, and if the situation continues, it surely can’t be too long before we see Amazon bike messengers scooting up and down the streets of other major U.S. cities, too.
As its ‘Prime Now’ name cleverly suggests, the service is aimed at Prime members and guarantees speedy delivery of ordered items to addresses across New York City’s most famous borough.
A fee of $7.99 per order guarantees delivery within 6o minutes, though if waiting an extra hour doesn’t put you out, the service is free.
Delivery riders
Amazon’s team of delivery riders operates out of a recently acquired office at 7 W. 34th Street, located close to the Empire State Building, with the service operating daily from 6am to midnight. With messengers and bikes not built to carry large, heavy, or unwieldy objects, delivery items mainly include things like books, toys, batteries, and various household items.
Drastically cutting the time it takes for Amazon’s customers to receive orders will be a cause of concern for some brick-and-mortar retailers as the super-fast service further blurs the line between themselves and their web-based rivals.
[Source: Mashable]
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