Amazon has begun offering one-hour deliveries in selected parts of London. Launched late last year in the US, Amazon is offering the rapid deliveries to Amazon Prime customers for an additional charge of £6.99 per consignment, but is encouraging shoppers to tip the driver, too.
The retailer will stockpile a vast range of goods in its East London fulfilment centre and use its own Amazon Logistics couriers to make the deliveries. Goods ranging from toilet paper to high-end laptops are available for delivery within 60 minutes.
The service will have a very limited catchment to start with, which isn't surprising considering it can take 45 minutes to get out of a parking spot in central London. Even Expert Reviews' central London offices in W1 aren't currently eligible for one-hour deliveries, although there's the option to choose a same-day two-hour delivery slot for no extra charge to Prime members.
The company has launched a dedicated Amazon Prime Now app for placing orders and booking deliveries, which is available for both iOS and Android, and of course for Kindle tablets and smartphones via the Amazon App Store. The app contains only those goods that are available for one-hour delivery, a small subset of the vast range of goods available from the regular Amazon store and third-party suppliers.
Customers will be sent tracking updates via text message after an order is placed, or can track deliveries via the Prime Now app. Buyers are also encouraged to leave a tip for the driver. Amazon's FAQ explains that "you may change the default tip up or down". The tip will be collected by Amazon but "the entire tip will go to the delivery person," the company claims.
Shopping baskets must total at least £20 (before delivery charge) to qualify for the one-hour delivery. Prime membership costs an additional £79 per year.
