Amazon opens up Fresh grocery deliveries to non-Prime members

Amazon is looking to widen the appeal of its high-tech grocery store format, Amazon Fresh.

As of August 2, Amazon Fresh is offering grocery delivery to customers who are not currently Prime members in a dozen metro areas including Austin, Tex., Boston, MA, Charlotte, N.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Denver; Nashville;  Phoenix;  Portland, Ore.; Richmond, Va.; Sacramento, Calif.; San Diego and San Francisco.  Amazon plans to roll out the offering to more areas.  

“We’re always looking for more ways to make grocery shopping easy, fast, and affordable for all of our customers, and are excited to offer Amazon Fresh grocery delivery to customers without a Prime membership in a dozen U.S. cities,” Claire Peters, worldwide VP of Amazon Fresh, said in an e-mailed statement to Chain Store Age.

While non-Prime members can place online orders with Amazon Fresh for delivery, they will have to pay a bit more than Prime members. Delivery service fees for non-Prime customers range from  $7.95 (for orders over $100) to $13.95 (for deliveries under $50).

For Prime members, the delivery service fee ranges from $3.95 (for orders $100-$150) to $9.95 (for deliveries under $50). This is a savings of $4 over the grocery delivery service fees for customers who are not Prime members. Prime members also receive free grocery delivery on orders more than $150.

Amazon debuted Amazon Fresh in 2020, in Woodland Hills, Calif. There are currently 44 Amazon Fresh stores, with close to 20 in California. In February 2023, CEO Andy Jassy told analysts on Amazon’s fourth-quarter earnings call that the company was pausing the expansion of Amazon Fresh “until we have that equation with differentiation and economic value that we like.” 

“But we’re optimistic that we’re going to find that in 2023,” he added. “We’re working hard at it. We see some encouraging signs. And when we do find that equation, we will expand it more expansively.”

Last week, The Washington Post reported that hundreds of jobs were being eliminated at Amazon Fresh.