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Amazon is keeping up the expansion of its one-hour delivery service, saying Thursday it has arrived in parts of Dallas.
The e-commerce giant started its Prime Now rapid delivery service in December in parts of Manhattan, letting its Prime members order thousands of products — including batteries, paper towels and toys — through a mobile app. Since then, it’s expanded the service to all of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Last week, the company pushed Prime Now outside of New York City for the first time, announcing availability in parts of Baltimore and Miami.
Amazon plans to move into more markets this year, while also growing the service in Baltimore, Miami and Dallas.
Two-hour deliveries in those cities are free for Amazon’s Prime members, who pay $99 a year for unlimited two-day deliveries and other benefits. One-hour deliveries for Prime members — only available in certain zip codes — cost $8.
Prime Now is another strategy Amazon is using to make itself even more appealing to customers in comparison to brick-and-mortar stores, and to get its Prime members to come to Amazon more often. Amazon already offers same-day delivery on groceries and dry goods in certain markets, and it’s testing the use of delivery drones.
Amazon will likely face some tough competition, as several others major tech and retail firms are competing in the rapid-delivery arena, too. Google, eBay, Walmart and Uber are all working on their own services.
In Manhattan, Amazon provides shipments through a logistics center in the midtown area, using contracted bicycle messengers. In addition, employees walk, take public transportation or drive — in the case of larger deliveries such as TVs, a company spokeswoman said. In Dallas, Baltimore and Miami, Amazon dispatches drivers from its warehouses, she said.
