Amazon.com announced that it is launching same-day delivery service in seven cities just in time for the upcoming holiday season.
"Local Express Delivery" will offer customers same-day delivery in Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
"Now, if a customer needs a last-minute present for a birthday or wants a copy of their book club book before the weekend starts, they can order from Amazon instead of the hassle of a last-minute trip to the mall," Girish Lakshman, Amazon's vice president of transportation, says.
Thousands of items are now available for Local Express Delivery. Amazon Prime* members pay just $5.99 per item for the service.
Orders in Baltimore placed before the 10:30 a.m. local cut-off time will be delivered the same day.
"We want to make online shopping as convenient as possible," says Lakshman. "We're continuously working to speed up delivery times and customers receiving items on the same day as ordered is an exciting step."
Amazon has also expanded Saturday Delivery options. Now, items ordered before the cut-off time on Thursday using Two-Day Shipping will be delivered on Saturday instead of Monday. For Prime members, Thursday-to-Saturday delivery is free using Two-Day Shipping. For all other customers, the service is offered at the current Two-Day Shipping rates. Saturday Delivery is also available for orders placed before the cut-off on Fridays for $6.99 per item for Prime members and an additional charge for all other customers.
Source: Girish Lakshman, Amazon.com
Writer: Walaika Haskins