Amazon continues to widen its profile as a shipper, announcing that it is rolling out its Prime FREE same-day delivery service to 11 new metro areas. The service, available to Prime members who make morning purchases of more than $35 worth of merchandise, now can boast coast-to-coast coverage in 27 major metros.
Amazon, which last week offered up its payment system to third-party merchants, continues to use its 240-million-person customer base to expand its portfolio of services. Upset with late deliveries and higher prices from UPS last December, the retailer entered into talks with Boeing to lease cargo jets and explore setting up its own shipping operation.
In a statement announcing the Prime FREE expansion, Prime VP Greg Greeley noted that “as our operational capabilities grow, we will continue to invent and expand delivery options that customers love.”
Amazon is also about to replicate its Prime Now quick-delivery app to its website, attempting to sell advertising space to major brands to ride along on the launch, according to a report on Bloomberg.com. The “Launch Hero Package” is priced at $500,000 for two weeks of placement on Amazon.com.
The full roster of expansion for Prime FREE is Charlotte, Cincinnati, Fresno, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Raleigh, Richmond, Sacramento, Stockton, and Tucson. In addition, new areas are being opened in Central New Jersey, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
