Austin Amazon Prime Members Get Whole Foods Free Delivery

AUSTIN, TX — Some Amazon Prime members may never leave the house again. The giant online retailer recently announced it would start delivering groceries from Whole Foods, the grocery store chain it purchased last summer, free of charge.

Those paying the annual $99 Prime membership that allows for postage-free deliveries on other Amazon orders are eligible to have Whole Foods wares delivered to their front doors for free in an offer that was launched on Thursday. Austin joins Dallas as one of just four cities picked for the delivery service launch, rounded out by Cincinnati and Virginia Beach, Va. with other cities to be added throughout the year.

Amazon Prime members going online to buy their groceries — baked goods, dairy products, meats, seafood, produce, flowers, and other grocery items — can now order them via the Prime Now app and website. There's no extra fee for orders exceeding $35, but a $7.99 charge is assessed for those wanting one-hour delivery. Ordered items will be retrieved from Whole Foods stores before being delivered by Amazon drivers.

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Home delivery of grocery items is a nascent but growing trend. Some 7 percent of U.S. households avail themselves of delivery service for foodstuff, according to NDP Group. Most (roughly three-quarters) have their items delivered to their door while the others pick them up at the store after ordering. Young adults represent the prototypical customer of such delivery options given their familiarity with the Intertubes, um, the Internet.

“We're happy to bring our customers the convenience of free two-hour delivery through Prime Now and access to thousands of natural and organic groceries and locally sourced favorites,” said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market co-founder and CEO, in a prepared statement. “Together, we have already lowered prices on many items, and this offering makes Prime customers’ lives even easier.”

Delivery from Whole Foods Market through Prime Now is available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Customers can visit www.primenow.com or download the Prime Now app to enter their zip code to see if they are in the delivery area.

Founded in Austin, Whole Foods was launched in 1980 to eventually become the world's leader in organic and natural foods. The company now operates 465 stores throughout the U.S. and the United Kingdom. From an original staff of 19 people, the company now employs 91,000 workers.

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