Amazon Launches Prime Now Grocery Delivery In More Cities

In a continued expansion of its Prime Now delivery offering, Amazon and Whole Foods Market are bringing the service to more cites: The companies have launched PrimeNow in Ann Arbor, Detroit, Jacksonville, Milwaukee, Madison, Omaha, St. Louis, Orlando, Tampa and Tulsa as well as additional areas of New York City and Seattle, the company said in an announcement.

“Prime Now delivery continues to be a hit with our customers and we’re excited to introduce the service in ten new cities plus more neighborhoods in New York and Seattle,” Whole Foods Market’s executive vice president of operations, Christina Minardi, said in the announcement. “It’s just another way we’re making it even easier for more customers to enjoy Whole Foods Market’s healthy and organic food.”

In addition, the companies noted that a grocery pickup service launched in August. That offering is available in Sacramento, Virginia Beach, Ft. Worth, Kennesaw and Richmond. To use the service, customers can order through an app, park in a designated space at their Whole Foods Market and have the groceries loaded into their car by a Prime Now shopper. The companies noted that pickup is free for orders over $35 and can be picked up in “as little as an hour,” while orders with a 30-minute window come at an additional charge.

Amazon also expanded its Prime Now grocery delivery service in July. The retailer, which delivers Whole Foods Market orders through the service, added more areas of New York City, along with three cities in Florida, to the platform, CNBC reported. Minardi said in an announcement, that the offering “is another way that we are continuing to expand access to our high-quality products and locally-sourced favorites.”

Florida and New York are competitive markets for grocery: In New York, for example, Walmart’s Jet is starting to market same-day grocery delivery. And, while Publix has long dominated the grocery market in Florida, new grocers such as Lucky’s Market and Sprouts Farmers Market are starting to open.