Amazon Launches Same-Day Service

TechFlash reports: Amazon.com is about to make one of its core customer groups—tech-savvy urbanites—very happy. The e-commerce giant today introduced same-day delivery in seven cities: New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Washington. The company says it will extend the service, called Local Express Delivery, to Chicago, Indianapolis, and Phoenix "in the coming months."

The new service isn't cheap. Amazon Prime members (who already fork over a $79 per year) will pay $5.99 per item for same-day delivery. Other customers pay more. Someone who orders books, for example, would pay $14.49 plus $3.99 per item, according to Amazon's shipping chart.

"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," said Girish Lakshman, Amazon vice president of transportation, in a statement.

People must place their orders by certain cutoff times for same-day delivery. Amazon is also adding new Saturday shipping options. More information here.

This same-day delivery could help the company drive people toward Amazon Prime.

I'm wondering if it also gives a hint of Amazon's plans for its experimental grocery-delivery service, Amazon Fresh. Amazon Fresh is expanding to cover the entire metro Seattle area by the end of the year, and the question now is: Will it ever go national? Amazon's blueprint for same-day delivery could indicate that it sees potential in these urban centers and has distribution centers that are close enough to these cities to deliver perishable goods quickly.