Amazon’s Prime Pantry Delivery Service Is Discontinued

Amazon has ended one of its first efforts to sell food online, with the eCommerce retailer closing its Prime Pantry service. Many items available under the Prime Pantry name in the past were integrated into its main website, Bloomberg reported

“As part of our commitment to delivering the best possible customer experience, we have decided to transfer [the] Amazon Pantry selection to the main Amazon.com store so customers can get everyday household products faster, without an extra subscription or purchase requirement,” an Amazon representative told Bloomberg by email.

Prime Pantry rolled out in 2014 and showcased an array of consumables in addition to cleaning items. The service was meant to encourage consumers to purchase large quantities of the cumbersome products – which are often costly to send – in orders that could be housed in one big parcel.

The news comes after Amazon opted to temporarily close Prime Pantry, according to a published report last March. As noted at the time, a notice posted by the eCommerce retailer on its Prime Pantry page said the service was temporarily closed and that the firm was “busy restocking.”

“Due to high order volumes, Pantry is not accepting new orders at this time,” the notice said. “This means that items listed as ‘Ships & Sold from Pantry’ cannot be added to your cart. We apologize for this inconvenience and are working with our partners to get these items back in stock as quickly as possible.”

In separate recent Amazon news, the eCommerce retailer has purchased Boeing wide-body airplanes. The 11 planes will become part of Amazon Air’s collection of aircraft in 2021 and 2022.

The firm said the purchase occurs as “customers are relying on fast, free shipping more than ever,” noting that “Amazon Air plays a central role in delivering for customers by transporting items across longer distances in shorter timeframes.”