Amazon is shutting down Prime Now and folding two-hour deliveries into its main app
Prime Now offered deliveries in hours not days
By Jon Porter@JonPorty May 21, 2021, 4:15am EDT
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Amazon is shutting down its standalone Prime Now delivery app, with its speedy two-hour delivery options moving exclusively into the company's main app and website, the company announced today. Prime Now services have already moved into the main app in India, Japan, and Singapore, while in other countries Amazon is already directing Prime Now users into its main app and website via a pop-up, CNBC notes. The standalone Prime Now app and website will be retired by the end of the year.
Originally launched in 2014, Prime Now was designed to offer deliveries of essential items within hours rather than days for Prime members. The service was initially available in just a small number of cities, but has since expanded to over 5,000 locations around the world, CNBC notes. Writing in a blog post, Amazon's vice president of grocery Stephenie Landry said shutting down the separate app will "make this experience even more seamless for customers."
Amazon says it will be "even more seamless for customers"
Two-hour delivery options from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods have been available on the main Amazon site and app in the US since 2019, but the company says third-party partners and local stores around the world will be moved onto its main service by the end of the year. These include local stores like Bartell's in Seattle, Morrisons in Leeds, or Monoprix in Paris.
Today's news follows Amazon's announcement in January that it would be discontinuing its Amazon Pantry service and making those household goods and groceries available through the main Amazon website. It's also been rebranding its Go Grocery brand as Amazon Fresh, GeekWire reports. Between the moves, Amazon is consolidating and simplifying its sprawling array of grocery delivery services.