The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is making ready a Sunday delivery service for its customers on both sides of the pond. Starting from 17th November Amazon online shoppers in New York and Los Angeles will be able to receive their goods delivered to their home on a Sunday. In the UK a similar Sunday delivery service will debut in London “later this month.”
Keep Sunday Special campaigners might not like it (though I noticed their website was open on Sundays) but Amazon now wants to provide a delivery service to their customers on Sundays. The online retailing giant has already begun same-day delivery in some cities and Sunday deliveries can only help along that quick click-to-gratification appeal.
Talking to the WSJ, Forrester Research analyst Sucharita Mulpuru said “Delivery on a Sunday would be very compelling for consumers. There are certainly people who decide not to make an order on a Friday because it won't get there until Monday.” Do HEXUS readers sometimes feel that way?
Joining LA and NYC in the US next year several other cities are already earmarked for the Sunday delivery service which will operate with the partnership of the U.S. Postal Service. Dallas, New Orleans, Houston and Phoenix “among others,” are said to be getting the Sunday delivery option next year.
The parties involved wouldn’t comment on the costs of the new Sunday service, its estimated popularity nor the length of the contract that has been made. However customers won’t be footing the bill directly. The WSJ reports that “Sunday delivery will be available for all Amazon customers in markets where the program is available at no additional cost. Customers won't specify Sunday delivery; eligible items will show up on Sunday if that is when they are ready.” So Sunday will become just another regular delivery day – not a special option.
In London, according to Dave Clark, Amazon's vice president of world-wide operations, the Sunday delivery service will begin “later this month.” Amazon has decided to use its own trucks to implement the London based service. Clark also said that the Sunday service should make Prime membership even more popular with customers. It is estimated that there are 10 million paying Amazon Prime subscribers. A couple of months ago Amazon stamped out a tasty rumour suggesting it would give away free smartphones tied to a Prime subscription.
