Amazon Speeds Up Deliveries In Four Cities

Amazon has established smaller warehouses around Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Orlando to make its same-day deliveries faster. 

The eCommerce giant announced on Tuesday (March 3) that it is improving its delivery program with guaranteed arrival times throughout the day for up to 3 million items that are marked “Today by.”

“We’re proud of the fact that our Same-Day services are driven in partnership with local communities where we operate and made possible by the people who live there. Each new building we open to make Same-Day Delivery even faster will create hundreds of part-time and full-time jobs,” Amazon said in a blog post. “In addition, this expansion enables more opportunities for Amazon Flex delivery partners to choose work that fits their schedule and earn great pay while delivering Same-Day packages on behalf of Amazon.” 

The new warehouses will serve as mini-fulfillment centers and are around 100,000 square feet, or about a tenth of the size of a traditional fulfillment center, Amazon said. 

“These are first-of-their-kind buildings and serve as mini-fulfillment centers optimized for faster click-to-delivery speeds,” Amazon said in a press release. 

The tech giant also said that having facilities located closer to customers will help it reduce its carbon footprint. Deliveries by plane will also be reduced and more delivery jobs will be created.

“Our Climate Pledge is to be net-zero carbon by 2040 — 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement,” the company said. 

The same-day delivery service is free for Prime members who spend a minimum of $35 but anyone can use the service for a fee. The delivery service upgrade comes on the heels of news that Walmart is developing a competitor to Amazon’s Prime membership. Target already offers same-day shipping through Shipt.

Walmart has been exploring the option of a paid subscription model that would offer certain perks Amazon wouldn’t be able to match. A Walmart spokesperson confirmed the new initiative is called Walmart+, but the firm offered no further details. 

The new membership program reportedly may include an option where customers could place orders through text. According to reports, no fee amount has yet been set for the subscription service.