Amazon brings grocery deliveries to the UK with 'Pantry'
Clearly, Amazon isn't content with a small, AmazonFresh-style delivery service. The company is expanding its UK operations today with Amazon Pantry, a new way to order "everyday essentials." It's exclusive to Prime members and offers next-day delivery for more than 4,000 products, including basic food, drink, beauty products and cleaning supplies. The service isn't meant for fresh produce -- you can't order a pack of bacon or some bananas -- but rather cupboard regulars like cereal and tinned soup. As you pick items from Amazon's store, you'll see a "Pantry box" beginning to fill. The exact dimensions aren't clear (they're probably flexible) but Amazon says each one can hold 20kg. The first box in your order costs £2.99 to deliver, followed by 99 pence for each additional box. These prices are on top of your Prime membership and what you'll pay for each individual item.
It's not the first time Amazon has offered food and drink. The company has been selling these through its online "Grocery Store" since 2010, although this was limited to its normal delivery methods. In London and Birmingham, you can order beer, snacks and fizzy drinks, as well as a few chilled and frozen items, through its same-day Prime Now delivery service. Amazon Pantry is a significantly larger play, however. It's available to all of its Prime subscribers in the UK, for instance, and offers a broader range of household items. The offering also foreshadows the long-awaited launch of AmazonFresh -- a same-day delivery service with a large selection of fresh produce. Supermarkets in the UK should be wary, especially if Amazon has plans to bring its handy Dash Buttons across the pond.
