Amazon offers 1-hour and 3-hour deliveries for US customers willing to pay an extra charge

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Category: Technology/Innovations

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. pantry / ˈpæn tri / (n.) – a small room where food, dishes, and kitchen supplies are stored
    Example:

    The kitchen has a pantry for storing dry goods.


  2. over-the-counter / ˈoʊ vər ðə ˈkaʊn tər / (adj.) – (of medicine) available to be bought without a prescription from a doctor
    Example:

    The doctor suggested an over-the-counter medicine for her cold.


  3. metropolitan / ˌmɛ trəˈpɒl ɪ tn / (adj.) – relating to a large city and its surrounding areas
    Example:

    She lives in a metropolitan area with many shops and restaurants.


  4. expertise / ˌɛk spərˈtiz / (n.) – a high level of skill or knowledge in a particular subject or activity
    Example:

    She has great expertise in computer programming.


  5. speed up / spid ʌp / (phrasal v.) – to make something happen faster or move more quickly
    Example:

    The company wants to speed up production to meet demand.


Article

Read the text below.

Amazon said that it has started offering faster U.S. deliveries of selected products for a fee, including pantry staples, clothing, over-the-counter medications, cleaning supplies, and electronics.


The announcement comes as Amazon is seeing increased competition from Walmart and is also looking to satisfy shoppers’ increasing demands for faster delivery.


The e-commerce colossus said customers in more than 2,000 cities, towns, and suburban areas can now choose to have orders from its speedy-shipment inventory of 90,000 items delivered in three hours. The charge is $4.99 for Amazon Prime members and $14.99 for nonmembers.


One-hour delivery slots are available in hundreds of places, including major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, and smaller cities such as Des Moines, Iowa, and Boise, Idaho, the company said. Prime members will get charged $9.99 for the service, which costs non-members $19.99, Amazon said.


The Seattle-based company said it started testing the express delivery service late last year and expanded it in March.


“We saw an opportunity to use our unique operational expertise and delivery network to help make customers’ lives a little easier while unlocking even more value for Prime members,” Udit Madan, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, said in a statement.


Amazon launched its Prime program in 2005, offering members free two-day delivery on a selection of 1 million items, primarily DVDs, CDs, and books. Prime members now have access to over 300 million items across 35 categories, and tens of millions of products are available for free same-day or next-day deliveries.


The company has used robotics and artificial intelligence technology to speed up order fulfillment. Regionalizing its U.S. delivery network into eight areas also has helped reduce delivery times, Amazon said.


Amazon is testing an ultrafast service for deliveries in 30 minutes or less. Amazon Now is available in various cities in India, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates and is being tested in several communities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, according to the company.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • If you need something delivered to you at once, would you consider trying Amazon’s fast delivery service? Why or why not? Would you pay extra for a delivery that arrives in one hour or less? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • What do you think about fast delivery services? Do you think it is convenient, or does it come with cons (ex. mistakes in your order, mishandled packages)? Do you think ultrafast delivery makes life easier or encourages impatience? Why do you say so? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Have you ever availed of a membership program similar to Amazon Prime before? If yes, what program is it and why did you decide to avail of it? If not, do you think membership programs are not worth it? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Amazon’s three-hour delivery is worth $4.99 for Prime members and $14.99 for non-members. For the one-hour delivery, the payment is $9.99 for Prime members and $19.99 for non-members. How does the difference in prices affect your decision whether to join the membership program or not? How necessary do you think it is to become a Prime member if this service were available in your country? Discuss.