Amazon is now providing Same-Day Delivery to Prime members in Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., adding these six cities to a growing list that already includes Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas and Seattle.
“Customers can order as late as noon, seven days a week and get things like popular movies, video games, last-minute travel needs, back-to-school supplies and family necessities delivered to their home the same day,” a press release on Amazon’s website says.
The catch is, Prime members have to pay $5.99 for “same-day” shipping, but the charge is a flat fee, so shoppers can add as many items as they need to their cart and only pay one shipping fee for the entire order. Amazon Prime Vice President Greg Greeley believes this is an extremely efficient and convenient development for Prime members.
“Imagine how much time you will save now that you can get sunscreen, memory cards, toothpaste, hit movies, text books and HDMI cables all delivered to your home in hours, seven days a week, in one order from Amazon,” Greeley said in the press release. “New convenient pricing also allows Prime members to fill up their same-day shopping cart with everything they may need for one low price. With more than a million eligible items, we aim to offer the largest same-day selection at the lowest price.”
The question is not whether or not Prime members will appreciate one-day shipping — who wouldn’t? — but whether or not they think the $5.99 fee is worth it.
Regardless, this new move from Amazon comes just a day after Walmart announces “personalized shopping” — in a desperate attempt to compete with Amazon, Walmart is now personalizing the shopper’s online experience by providing recommendations based on your Walmart shopping and browsing history.
For now, it might be wiser to stick with the free, two-day shipping from Amazon Prime rather than pay $5.99 to get products shipped to your house immediately. If you’re that desperate, just hike to Walmart to buy whatever you need and save five bucks.