Amazon is starting to deliver same-day packages within HOURS and claims quicker deliveries are better for the environment
- Amazon is now delivering same-day packages within hours in select US cities
- The pilot program is live in Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando and Dallas
- Shoppers can choose overnight delivery that arrives between 4:30 am and 8 am
- The company says it will cut down on carbon emissions by shortening deliveries
- It’s unclear if an increased need for fulfillment centers will mitigate the benefits
Amazon is upping the ante on its already aggressive shipping times.
According to a blog post from the e-commerce giant, it will now start delivering same-day packages ordered in select cities within just a few hours.
The pilot program is now live in four US cities, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Orlando and Dallas, and is applicable for three million items sold through Amazon’s platform.
Amazon says that it will even deliver items while you sleep if users select the ‘overnight by 8AM’ option as opposed to the ‘today by’ option when ordering a product.
Amazon is promising customers even faster delivery times with a new option that can have packages at your doorstep in just several hours
Those items will be delivered any time between 4:30 am and 8 am.
The faster deliver time will be free on orders of $35 or more and will cost $2.99 for orders below that total.
If packages delivered almost instantly to your door wasn’t enough of a promise, Amazon is taking its pledge a step further by also claiming that the venture will actually reduce the company’s environmental footprint.
According to Amazon, the expedited products will be enabled by utilizing local fulfillment centers, meaning the journey from Amazon to the customer’s doorstep will be shorter than other deliveries.
‘And while it may seem counterintuitive, the faster delivery speeds enabled by these facilities actually help us lower carbon emissions in line with our Climate Pledge to be net zero carbon by 2040—10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement,’ writes the company in a statement.
‘This is because these new facilities are in close proximity to customers, reducing the need for aircraft transport and generally decreasing the distance drivers have to travel to deliver packages to our customers.’
The company claims that the move will reduce reliance on airplanes, but it’s unclear if that will offset the increased reliance on fulfillment centers
Though encouraging, Amazon’s claim that the expedited shipping will actually equate to lower emissions isn’t as straightforward as the company makes it sound.
Airplanes do in fact contribute heavily to carbon emissions around the globe, but the heightened need for fulfillment centers to support faster shipping may also mean longer hours of operation, potential for more employees who need to commute to those facilities, not to mention the amount of energy that those facilities take to run – for instance heating and cooling costs.
It’s also possible that the faster shipping could translate to more frequent and smaller orders which may result in more trips to and from centers.
Environmental impact aside, Amazon says that it is already aiming to roll the option out in more cities across the country.