Amazon tests grocery delivery subscription for Prime members

Amazon, which continues to tinker with its grocery offerings, is testing a $9.99-per-month grocery delivery subscription in three cities for members of its Prime service, the Seattle-based retail giant said Thursday.

Prime members in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; and Columbus, Ohio, can get unlimited grocery delivery on orders over $35 from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh with the added monthly fee, which also offers unlimited 30-minute grocery pickup on orders of any size, Amazon said.

Amazon Prime members already pay $14.99 per month or $139 a year for a variety of benefits including free shipping, streaming video, photo storage and more.

“We’re always experimenting with features to make shopping easier, faster and more affordable, and we look forward to hearing how members who take advantage of this offer respond,” Tony Hoggett, Amazon’s SVP of worldwide grocery stores, said in a statement.

The pilot program is the latest iteration in a long series of changes to Amazon’s grocery services.

In February, Amazon raised the minimum order size for free Amazon Fresh grocery delivery for Prime members from $35 to $150, blaming inflation and high delivery costs.

“Amazon Fresh delivery orders over $150 will remain free with Prime membership,” the retailer said at the time. “We’re introducing a service fee on some Amazon Fresh delivery orders to help keep prices low in our online and physical grocery stores as we better cover grocery delivery costs to enable offering a consistent, fast and high-quality delivery experience.”

In early October, though, Amazon decreased that free delivery threshold to $100.

And just last month, Amazon announced it would make its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery service and free pickup available to anyone—not just Prime members, calling the move “part of Amazon’s journey to build a best-in-class grocery shopping experience offering incredible selection, value and convenience.”

The retailer has also been experimenting with its physical grocery stores. It has redesigned two Amazon Fresh locations in the Chicago area, along with three stores in the Los Angeles area, to feature a “warmer, brighter and more inviting space” as well as additional products and Krispy Kreme doughnut shops.