Amazon Prime members can now get their groceries delivered through a newly introduced service. The eCommerce giant launched the program on Tuesday, which benefits subscribers and those who receive government food assistance through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP).
A monthly price of $9.99 for unlimited grocery delivery is offered to standard Prime members not in the government program who enroll, with the exception that orders must be $35 or more. Shoppers who take advantage of the subscription offer can choose to get groceries from some of their favorite retailers. The company noted its Amazon Fresh brand, along with Whole Foods Market, Rite Aid, Save Mart, Bartell Drugs, and Pet Food Express, among several others, are included as options with the service.
Currently, the grocery delivery service is available in 3,500 towns and cities in America. Low-income residents who get government food benefits through SNAP would not be required to have a Prime membership to sign up for the service, according to Amazon’s statements in a press release. They would get the same benefits as Prime members using the service for $9.99 monthly, but would pay a reduced fee of $4.99 instead.
Amazon is seemingly seeking to compete with other big-name brands like Walmart and Target, who already offer similar subscription services like Walmart+ and Target Circle 360. Walmart+ members pay a $12.95 monthly fee, or a one-time annual payment of $98. It would seem that standard Prime members would pay the $9.99 for grocery delivery on top of the $14.99 they already provide for the other benefits of Prime. That’s about $25 per month, or $300 annually. Customers would have to weigh the benefits altogether to decide if they want to pay extra for the grocery delivery with Amazon.
The company also emphasized there are one-hour delivery windows for Prime members and eligible SNAP recipients who pay for the service at no extra cost. Unlimited 30-minute pickup orders of any size were also noted by the brand in its release on the grocery delivery program.
Amazon had been testing grocery delivery across several cities in 2023 and saw success in Denver, Columbus, and Sacramento. Still, some Prime members are claiming Amazon has been struggling with delivery orders. They argue their items never arrive on time, and estimated arrival dates are frequently changed.
“Tired of ordering something and having the delivery date bait and switched!” a customer wrote in a thread on Reddit. “Someone should file a class action lawsuit!” They claimed they canceled their Prime subscription after being a 20-year member. Another echoed a similar sentiment.
“I’m right behind you. Orders are arriving later and later!” the shopper exclaimed. “Canceled Prime last week for some of the same reasons,” a third commented.
For more related content, check out The U.S. Sun’s coverage of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s comments regarding lower prices for customers moving forward. The U.S. Sun also has the story on the new direction for Amazon that will see grocery shoppers testing out fresh tech.
