Amazon Tests Out New Prime Benefit — Grocery Delivery

Amazon is piloting an add-on grocery subscription for Prime members in three cities that will give members access to unlimited grocery delivery on orders over $35 from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh, as well as unlimited 30-minute pickup on orders of any size.

The service — which is being tested in Denver, Sacramento, Calif. and Columbus, Ohio — will cost Prime members an additional $9.99 per month. It’s the latest Prime benefit added in recent months, including making the One Medical subscription telehealth service available as a Prime add-on at a reduced rate and a partnership with travel deal aggregator StudentUniverse to help Prime members who are students find cheap flights home for the holidays.

With the new grocery delivery subscription, Amazon said it is aiming to build a “best-in-class grocery shopping experience” both online and in stores that meets the needs of its diverse customer base.

“We’re excited to pilot a new grocery subscription exclusively for Prime members [with] access to the broadest selection — from big brands they know and trust, to delicious organic and natural foods, and everything in between,” said Tony Hoggett, SVP of Worldwide Grocery Stores at Amazon in a statement. “We’re always experimenting with features to make shopping easier, faster and more affordable, and we look forward to hearing how members who take advantage of this offer respond.” 

Hoggett said that the company will be collecting feedback from members during the pilot and plans to continue to iterate on the offering over time based on the response.

Amazon has been pulling back on other brick-and-mortar formats as it sharpens its focus on the grocery sector. In August 2023, Amazon Fresh expanded its delivery services to non-Prime members and unveiled a new design for its stores, and new store openings are underway again after a pause earlier in the year.