Amazon is tightening its delivery window yet again, rolling out one-hour and three-hour shipping on tens of thousands of items in markets nationwide. The new options, aimed at keeping pace with Walmart and other rivals, are available in major metro areas like Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as in such smaller cities as Boise, Idaho, reports USA Today. The company says more than 90,000 products qualify for one-hour delivery, relying on its same-day infrastructure and new in-warehouse tweaks like special workstations, yellow package labels, and updated signs to expedite the process.
The faster service isn't cheap: Prime members will pay an extra $9.99 for one-hour delivery and $4.99 for the three-hour version, while non-Prime shoppers are charged $19.99 and $14.99, respectively. Some perishable groceries are included in select areas. "We saw an opportunity to use our unique operational expertise ... while unlocking even more value for Prime members," says Udit Madan, Amazon's senior VP of worldwide operations, in a release.
Per the AP, Walmart says it's able to make same-day deliveries in less than three hours to 95% of the US; three years ago, that figured hovered at about 76%. Target, meanwhile, has also been trying to bust out of what the news outlet calls its "persistent sales malaise" by growing its partnership with delivery service Shipt, which allows the retailer to make same-day deliveries to about 80% of the American population. About four-fifths of those deliveries are said to be made in under three hours.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
