Amazon adds advance grocery pickup/delivery window

Amazon is offering a new service that lets customers plan ahead when it comes to scheduling their weekly grocery pickup or delivery. 

In an email to Chain Store Age, Amazon spokesperson Kim Kornfeld said the new service, known as “Recurring Reservations,” is a nationwide offering that enables shoppers in nearly 1,300 cities and towns in the U.S. to plan ahead and set up their preferred day and time window for weekly grocery pick-up and delivery up to seven days in advance.

Here's how the new service works: 

• Customers get their preferred pickup or delivery time automatically reserved each week.
• Reservation notifications are sent two days in advance and an hour before the reservation expires for customers to keep their preferred time.
• Shoppers can add items they may have forgotten at any point before the shopper begins picking groceries.
• Payment occurs when customers are ready to checkout and can be modified or canceled at any time with no obligations.

In addition, customers can utilize another new shopping feature with Amazon Fresh called Repeat Items to save time on routine shopping by having their favorite items ready and automatically waiting in their cart in advance. Customers can control the quantity and frequency of each item they add. 

For example, customers can get milk once a week, or six apples every two weeks. Items will be automatically added to their cart on their schedule.

"As shoppers continue to prioritize convenience, Amazon Fresh recognizes that convenience looks different for every customer and it’s our job to make grocery shopping as seamless as possible," said Kornfeld in the email. "Our goal is to build a best-in-class grocery shopping experience—whether shopping in store or online—where Amazon is the first choice for selection, value, and convenience. 

"These features are perfect for the busy shoppers who want to streamline their weekly shopping trips and never miss their favorite meals," Kornfeld added "It’s a great way to make sure customers get all the grocery items they need without the stress of last-minute shopping."

The new services follow Amazon making grocery delivery and free pickup available to customers without a Prime membership in all U.S. locations where Amazon Fresh is available in November 2023.