Reuters is reporting that Amazon.com is launching same-day delivery service in seven cities as the online retailer looks to win sales from last-minute shoppers this holiday season.
Amazon said “Local Express Delivery” will offer customers same-day delivery in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington, D.C. for $5.99.
That price applies only to Amazon Prime members, who pay a $79 yearly fee for free shipping from the online site. For a non-Prime customer, the price could be as high as $18.99 to ship a computer or a piece of luggage, for example.
The service will be extended to Chicago, Indianapolis and Phoenix in the coming months, Amazon said. It will be a permanent service from the retailer that will continue after the holidays.
“If a customer needs a last-minute present for a birthday or wants a copy of their book club book before the weekend starts, they can order from Amazon instead of the hassle of a last-minute trip to the mall,” Girish Lakshman, Amazon’s vice president of transportation, said in a statement.
The company will use the courier services Dynamex Inc and A1 for its same-day needs, Amazon said.