Amazon launches 30-minute delivery in dozens of cities

Amazon has long been known for fast delivery speeds, but for certain products in certain cities, that speed just got a lot faster.

On Tuesday, Amazon announced a wide rollout for Amazon Now, a new service that aims to get products to consumers in 30 minutes or less. Right now, Amazon Now is widely available in four metro areas: Seattle, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas-Fort Worth. By the end of the year, Amazon plans to expand service to "dozens" more markets, including Minneapolis, Orlando, and Phoenix.

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"Amazon Now is for when you need or want the convenience of getting your Amazon order delivered in 30 minutes or less,” Amazon executive Udit Madan said in the press release. “With thousands of items available for ultra-fast delivery, you can get everything from groceries for dinner, to AirPods before a flight, to household essentials like laundry detergent or toothpaste delivered right to your door.”

As of right now, Amazon Now is mostly focused on things that people might need in a hurry. This includes produce, dairy, and eggs, baby supplies, and even alcohol "where permitted." The service is also available 24 hours a day in most markets. And while you don't need a Prime membership to use Amazon Now, it's heavily geared toward Prime members. Prime users pay only a $3.99 delivery fee, while non-Prime members pay $13.99.

Amazon tested an early version of Amazon Now in the Seattle and Philadelphia markets late last year. Apparently, the company was encouraged enough by both customer response and the effectiveness of its infrastructure to make this more widely available. It will be interesting to see how dedicated grocery delivery services like Instacart respond to this.