Amazon has now entered the crowded restaurant delivery space, giving Prime members another reason to say firmly fixed to the sofa instead of heading out for dinner or even into the kitchen.
The company officially launched its new service this week in select parts of Seattle following a trial period conducted in the city over recent months.
So what can customers expect? Lots of tasty food, by the sounds of it. Amazon has partnered with a bunch of local eateries – among them Cactus, Wild Ginger, Skillet, Marination Station, and Ten Mercer – each of which is waiting for your order.
Hungry Prime members looking for a decent fill can view the current list of participating restaurants via their Prime Now app. Then it’s simply a case of browsing menus and placing an order.
The app also lets you track the whereabouts of your meal from the chef’s kitchen to your front door, with Amazon promising to have it in your hands within 60 minutes, though you wouldn’t want to wait any longer or it’ll arrive cold. To encourage people to try out the new service, the e-commerce giant is waiving delivery fees “for a limited time.”
“Prime members can now enjoy food from the Seattle restaurants they love without having to drive all over the city,” Amazon’s Gus Lopez said in a release, adding, “For many of these restaurants, this is the first time they are offering delivery, and we are delighted they have chosen to work with us.”
While the trial run of the service saw the restaurants themselves delivering ordered meals while Amazon facilitated the online ordering process, the newly launched service sees the company also taking care of deliveries with its own fleet of drivers. Amazon makes money by taking a cut of every sale, though the revenue split between a restaurant and the company isn’t known.
Amazon is thought to be already preparing to roll out the service in more locations across the U.S. after relevant job postings for a new restaurant division in New York City were spotted earlier this month.
The restaurant delivery market is highly competitive with a slew of startups already making their mark in the space. With a giant firm like Amazon dipping its toe in, things could certainly get interesting in the coming months as the established players look for ways to retain their existing customers and keep the its newest competitor at bay.
