Amazon corners Christmas with same-day deliveries

by Stevie Smith - Oct 16 2009, 15:45

With the insanely busy holiday season fast approaching, and an inescapable consumer rush likely coming with it, leading online retail behemoth Amazon has added a little extra seasonal customer incentive by introducing same-day deliveries.

Officially announced on Thursday, the service will initially be available to online buyers in seven select cities across the United States, rolling out in Baltimore, Boston, Las Vegas, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle and Washington.

Of course, there’s nothing free in this life – even during the season of good will – and Amazon’s more expeditious delivery service will come attached to a fee of $5.99 USD for Amazon Prime customers, who also pay $79 USD per year for ‘free’ shipping.

It’s worth noting that Amazon customers not covered by Prime can expect to pay as much as $18.99 USD for the privilege of same-day delivery depending on the bulk of their purchase(s), according to a Reuters report.

Clearly of the belief that its new service will be a hit, Amazon has said its commitment to more speedy dispatch and delivery will be expanded to Chicago, Indianapolis and Phoenix over the next few months.

Not just looking to secure an even bigger slice of the Christmas retail cake with its same-day service, Amazon has said customers selecting the two-day delivery option on orders placed before the cut-off time on a Thursday will receive their packages on Saturday as opposed to Monday.

Again, Amazon’s two-day pledge doesn’t come without a fee, which will see Amazon Prime members paying $6.99 USD for the service. Customers not registered through Prime will pay more.

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