America has a love-hate relationship with Amazon. We love to complain about our reliance on the convenience. But when you decide you want a pillow shaped like a baguette, you want it NOW.
Amazon is currently testing “ultrafast” deliveries, which will get purchases to your front door in 30 MINUTES. Which is . . . kinda ridiculous.
It’s one thing to expect your pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less. Now, we are so impatient that we put a lasagna into the oven, then order oven mitts, and expect them to be delivered in time to take the lasagna out.
This 30-minute delivery is only being tested in two places, Seattle and Philadelphia. It’s unclear when it might be expanded, but if you’re in a rural area, I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Of course, not everything will be available for this. But Amazon says it’ll be offered for “thousands of everyday household essentials and grocery items.”
And it won’t be free. The 30-minute deliveries will start at $13.99 per order, although if you’re a Prime member, your charge will be discounted to $3.99. A “small basket fee” of $1.99 will also be added to orders below $15.
They say it’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, “much like a convenience store.”
If you live in the Seattle and Philly areas, you can check the Amazon app and homepage for the “30-Minute Delivery” option in the navigation bar.
You can track the orders, and, naturally, you have the option to tip your drivers. Wonderful!
(Remember when free two-day deliveries were a revelation? Next, we’re going to want to pay, and then REACH INTO OUR COMPUTER to grab the purchase like it’s on the counter at a store.)
