Amazon, Whole Foods Expand Pickup and Delivery

Amazon and Whole Foods Market have launched grocery delivery through Prime Now in 10 new cities and expanded a nascent curbside pickup program at select stores.

Whole Foods stores in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Mich.; Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa, Fla.; Milwaukee and Madison, Wis.; Omaha, Neb.; St. Louis; and Tulsa, Okla., are now offering Prime Now delivery, while Amazon said it was expanding the areas where delivery is available in New York and Seattle.

The additions bring Whole Foods delivery to 48 cities after launching earlier this year. In many of those places the Prime Now offering is in addition to Instacart, which already fulfills orders for delivery from Whole Foods stores. The Prime Now offering is for paid members of Amazon’s Prime loyalty program and is free for two-hour deliveries on orders of more than $35. Instacart is available in most stores with a subscription or per-delivery fee.

Whole Foods this week also announced expansion of grocery pickup from Whole Foods Market stores in in Fort Worth, Texas; Kennesaw, Ga.; and Richmond, Va. That service first launched in August in Sacramento, Calif., and Virginia Beach, Va.

Customers can choose free pickup in as little as an hour on orders of $35, or in 30 minutes for $4.99. Stores offering the curbside service have designated pickup spots. When a customer arrive, groceries are placed in their car within minutes. For customers who indicate they are on their way to the store in the Prime Now app, groceries will be ready as they arrive.

Related:Whole Foods, Amazon Expand Prime Now to New Cities

“Prime Now delivery continues to be a hit with our customers, and we’re excited to introduce the service in 10 new cities plus more neighborhoods in New York and Seattle,” Christina Minardi, EVP of operations for Whole Foods Market, said in a statement. “And for our customers in Fort Worth, Kennesaw and Richmond, we’re thrilled to also offer the option of grocery pickup. It’s just another way we’re making it even easier for more customers to enjoy Whole Foods Market’s healthy and organic food.”

Pickup and delivery from Whole Foods Market are available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.