I was surprised it took this long for Amazon’s “Prime Now” service to arrive in the Seattle area. Back in March Prime Now debuted, and over the next couple of months expanded into several cities, including Austin, Dallas, and Baltimore, but not Amazon’s home city. Well, it is now available in Seattle (and a other locations by zip code) and I’m not sure what to make of it.
I haven’t used it yet. Apparently I need to download an app for my phone in order to take advantage of the service. I don’t know how I feel about this. Why should I need an app to have something delivered to my home? I’m at home, and if I need an item within an hour or two, chances are much greater that I would be more apt to use my computer.
Oh well.
So there is a mobile app to use, and currently there are quite a number or zip codes Prime Now will deliver to here in Seattle with more promised to be on the delivery route soon. Maybe I should type that as “soon” but I think you get the idea.
And yes, I downloaded the app. It downloaded as I typed out the last paragraph. And now I am going to browse it to see if there is anything that I can not live without, and subsequently wait two days for.
First you need to sign in to Amazon, then plug in your zip code. The app presents the user with several headings under which various items are to be found. For The Home, Off To College, Pet Central and Cold Beer are just some of the headings.
I did some comparison shopping, seeing if the prices are any different. From what I saw the prices were the same across the board in every department. Hrm. Maybe I will be using my phone to order a last minute ingredient while the baby is down for nap and I don’t want to wake him to go to the store.
[TAKEN FROM THE PRESS RELEASE]
Prime Now launched in select Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland zip codes today and is expanding rapidly to additional zip codes. Prime members can download the Prime Now app, available on iOS and Android devices, and be notified when the service is available in their area. In Seattle and surrounding areas, Prime Now delivers from8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Two-hour delivery is free and one-hour delivery is available for $7.99.