As retail giant Amazon doubles down on speed, the company delivered over 410 million items via same-day or next-day services to its Prime members in India last year, marking a 26 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase. Globally, the company delivered over 9 billion units at a similar speed.
The demand for fast delivery is particularly high for essentials, with 200 million units of everyday items delivered on the same or the next day, a 23 per cent rise from 2023, according to Amazon. To cater to this, the company introduced sub-same-day delivery for over 20,000 items within four hours.
The preferred categories for same-day or next-day deliveries include fruits and vegetables, snacks and desserts, beauty products, mobile phones, home décor, and fashion, Amazon said.
"Understanding that speed, coupled with a large selection, matters to customers, Amazon has continuously invested in logistics and delivery capabilities," the company said. It added that under Amazon Prime, the number of serviceable postal index number (PIN) codes covered under same-day or next-day delivery increased by more than 11 per cent in 2024.
Enabling even quicker deliveries, Amazon has entered the quick commerce segment, launching pilot services of ‘Amazon Now’ in select PIN codes in Bengaluru. Initially focused on groceries and daily essentials, the company plans to expand into beauty and kitchen categories, mirroring its competitors.
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"Amazon has always focused on offering customers a wide selection with convenient and fast delivery. We are always innovating to offer even more value to customers, and this limited pilot in select PIN codes in Bengaluru is a trial to offer even faster speeds on a selection of everyday essentials from our sellers that customers often need quickly," a company spokesperson told Business Standard.
While Prime members in India saved an average of around Rs 3,300—more than twice the cost of an annual Prime membership—members worldwide saved nearly $95 billion on fast and free deliveries. In India, the annual membership for Prime is available at Rs 1,499, which includes shopping and entertainment benefits. Amazon Prime members get free, unlimited same-day deliveries on more than 10 lakh items and next-day deliveries on over 40 lakh items.

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