Amazon is putting its Whole Foods acquisition to good use, adding Whole Foods groceries to its Prime Now delivery service.
Prime Now customers can now order Whole Foods groceries in Dallas, Cincinnati, Virginia Beach, and Austin, and have them delivered within two hours for free. Those who want their groceries faster, meanwhile, can pay $7.99 for orders of at least $35 and have them within the hour.
While the option is currently available in just four markets, Amazon says that it plans to expand it nationwide this year.
Amazon Prime Now Delivers Whole Foods Groceries
Customers in the four aforementioned markets can use Prime Now to get various Whole Foods items including meat, seafood, fresh produce, dairy, bakery, everyday items, and more from Whole Foods Market. The service also covers select alcohol, albeit not all alcoholic beverages will be available for delivery. Amazon does not mention just what types "select alcohol" are covered.
To place an order, customers can either access the Whole Foods Market section on the Prime Now website or use the Prime Now app for iOS and Android.
"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," says John Mackey, co-founder, and CEO of Whole Foods Market. "Together, we have already lowered prices on many items, and this offering makes Prime customers' lives even easier."
Amazon Whole Foods Integration
Amazon closed the deal to acquire Whole Foods for $13.5 billion back in August, and this marks the first major integration of its Prime Now delivery service and the grocery store chain.
The new integration confirms what analysts had already predicted that Amazon will use Whole Foods to expand its warehousing network and add more options for Amazon customers such as Prime Now subscribers.
Prime Now costs $99 per year and brings a number of perks including fast delivery. With Whole Foods groceries, employees will pick the ordered items off shelves and hand them over to drivers for delivery.
Amazon To Add More Markets Soon
While the company says that Whole Foods groceries will become available in more markets through Prime Now this year, it offers no specific timeline at this point. Amazon will likely add more markets gradually, and it's expected to include all major areas in the United States.
That said, the company might also expand its selection of available products in the future. For now, most of the frequently-purchased items are available, but not every product from Whole Foods stores is available for Prime Now delivery. Amazon also failed to mention how many items are available for quick delivery, but this is nonetheless a promising start.
