Amazon has recently announced a major expansion of its same-day delivery service, which will be extended to 20 new European cities over the next 12 months.
The strategic plan confirmed by Amazon’s headquarters will include some medium-to-large urban centers such as Augusta in Germany, Metz in France and Bergamo in Italy, thus significantly increasing the service’s territorial coverage.
Customers enrolled in the Prime program will be able to take advantage of this fast-delivery option at no additional cost, provided that the order exceeds a certain minimum spending threshold. Conversely, non-Prime users will have to pay a specific fee to access this accelerated delivery mode.
The official announcement was made by Rocco Braeuniger during the “Delivering the Future” event held in Dortmund. In his capacity as Vice President for Amazon Stores in
- Germany
- Austria
- Switzerland.
- European Union expansion countries
Braeuniger pointed out that the same-day delivery service is already operational in over 130 European locations, including both major metropolises such as
- London
- Vienna
- Berlin
and smaller urban centers such as Erfurt.
During his speech, the executive highlighted the company’s commitment to further expanding the service’s geographic coverage and extending the time windows available to place orders with same-day delivery. The stated goal is to allow customers to complete their purchases later in the day, while still guaranteeing receipt of their ordered products by the evening. This strategy thus reflects the company’s vision of offering an optimal shopping experience at every stage, from browsing the website to final delivery.
Technological innovations for ever faster deliveries
During the “Delivering the Future” event, Amazon also presented some significant innovations implemented in its logistics network, specifically designed to reduce the distance between products and end customers, further optimizing delivery times. The first city to adopt the new “rapid delivery areas” system is Madrid. Here, a specialized operational site has been set up to guarantee same-day deliveries for orders placed until 6:15 p.m. in specific postal zones of the Spanish capital.
It is interesting to note how this operational mode is leveraging artificial intelligence to analyze data related to the popularity of various products, thus allowing precise prediction of which items are most urgently requested by customers. The forecast enables strategic optimization in selecting products to stock in the areas specialized for rapid delivery, significantly improving the efficiency of the entire process.
>>> Also read our guide Amazon Inventory Management: Warehouse Optimization Guide. <<<
The implemented model is based on an advanced inventory and logistics operations management system. The platform can accurately identify the most in-demand products and position them strategically in warehouse sections specifically designed for them. Not surprisingly, the dedicated areas are located near packing stations. This drastically reduces the time needed for the phases of
- picking
- preparation
- shipping,
operations entrusted to Amazon’s logistics partners for the final customer-delivery stage.
An ambitious roadmap
The company has expressed its enthusiasm regarding the extension of this innovative operating model to other European locations. The implementation roadmap foresees the activation of the service at a selected site in London already within the current month. Then, the expansion will continue to Munich, Berlin and Milan by the end of the year. A long-term vision that contemplates extending the service to over 15 European cities by 2026. The objective is, clearly, to guarantee ever faster deliveries and an even more optimized customer experience.
The growing demand for everyday essentials
Daily-use products represent a particularly strategic segment within Amazon’s fast-delivery service. The company has found that this merchandise category includes items that customers need with high frequency, and often with urgency. Data for the first quarter of the current year highlight an impressive volume. Over 20 million daily-use products are, in fact, delivered via same-day delivery across the entire European continent. This represents an increase of more than 80 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.
As Rocco Braeuniger emphasized during the event, customers place invaluable value on their time. A sensitivity fully shared by the company, which is constantly committed to improving and speeding up its delivery services to meet this customer priority.
>>> Also read our article FBA or FBM, how to Calculate the Optimal Stock Quantity. <<<
Over the past year, Amazon has reached a globally significant milestone in Prime deliveries. More than 9 billion units have been delivered in one day or same-day to Prime customers worldwide. Analyzing European consumer preferences reveals a tendency to purchase:
- Amazon Fire TV sticks,
- household products such as toilet paper
- leisure accessories such as instant camera film packs.
The benefits for Prime customers are not limited to time savings. Thanks to rapid delivery, Prime customers have saved $95 billion. A figure that highlights the significant added value offered by Amazon’s loyalty program.
Try the Profit Tool for free
Take full control of your Amazon Business. You will see with clarity real profits, margins, ROI, orders, costs and have a balance for each European marketplace. If you are not yet familiar with ZonWizard's Profit Tool, find out how it can help you manage and grow your business.
