Sponsored By

Amazon Prime Now delivery launches at more Whole Foods stores

Same-day service gets under way at 13 new metro markets

Russell Redman

May 1, 2019

2 Min Read
Supermarket News logo in a gray background | Supermarket News

Amazon.com Inc. and Whole Foods Market have announced their second expansion of Prime Now online grocery delivery within the past month.

The retailers said Wednesday that Prime Now delivery, in as soon as an hour, has launched at Whole Foods stores in Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tenn.; Destin and Tallahassee, Fla.; Greensboro and Wilmington, N.C.; Allentown, Pa.; Fort Collins, Colo.; Huntsville and Montgomery, Ala.; Jackson, Miss.; Palm Desert, Calif.; and Portland, Maine.

Amazon Prime members can shop thousands of items for delivery from Whole Foods, including fresh and organic produce, bakery, dairy, meat and seafood, floral and daily staples. Select alcohol is also available for delivery to customers in Destin and Tallahassee, Fla.; Greensboro and Wilmington, N.C.; and Palm Desert, Calif.

With the addition of 13 new metropolitan areas, Prime Now same-day delivery is offered through Whole Foods stores in 88 U.S. markets, with more to come this year, the companies said. In April, Amazon and Whole Foods had kicked off Prime Now delivery service in nine new markets and expanded Prime Now Pickup to 30 metro areas overall.

Broader geographic coverage for online delivery is key to Amazon’s omnichannel strategy in grocery and other retail segments. The Seattle-based e-tail giant has seen slow sales growth on the brick-and-mortar side. Last week, Amazon reported that sales at its physical stores — including 500 Whole Foods supermarkets plus a fleet of Amazon bookstores, pop-ups and cashierless Amazon Go convenience stores — inched up 1% to $4.3 billion for the first quarter. That figure, however, excludes orders made online.

Related:Slow growth for Amazon in-store sales, but online delivery is up

Amazon also has tried to spur online and offline grocery sales via another round of price cuts at Whole Foods, including lower prices on certain items for all customers and more weekly deals across departments for Prime members. Reductions enacted in early April lowered prices by an average of 20% on select items throughout the store, according to the company.

“More Prime members have adopted the Whole Foods benefit than almost any other benefit we’ve offered them,” Amazon Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky told analysts in the company’s first-quarter earnings call. “And they’re saving, as a result, hundreds of millions of dollars. We continue to expand the coverage for delivery.”

Amazon also is angling to offer faster delivery. The company said it plans to spend $800 million in the current quarter to bring free delivery times for Prime members down to one day from two, which Olsavsky noted will increase the number and types of products customers are willing to buy from Amazon.

Related:Whole Foods, Amazon ready more price cuts

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

Stay up-to-date on the latest food retail news and trends
Subscribe to free eNewsletters from Supermarket News

You May Also Like