Roxbury Prime Members Want Amazon's Free Same-Day Delivery

It takes a big retailer with all the right pieces to successfully implement Same-Day Delivery in major US cities, not to mention being capable to offer it free. No other than Amazon has cracked the code and is moving at a fast pace, adding one market area after another. Before long, the e-retailer is going to be providing free same-day delivery nationwide.

Yet, there is one area in Boston full of Prime subscribers inquiring why same-day delivery hasn't come their way. The Boston Globe reported that Amazon offers free same-day delivery in every Boston neighborhood--except Roxbury. One of the findings by Bloomberg compared US census data that showed that minority neighborhoods in several cities have not been included to offer free same-day delivery. Roxbury is 59% African-American and is the "most striking gap" found from the data. The retailer's service stretches from Boston city limits to many suburbs and nearby communities, but for some reason, not in Roxbury.

The article stated that per Amazon to Bloomberg, Roxbury’s circumstance is “an anomaly" and nothing else. Amazon gave Mattapan as a example, which is 85% African-American, as well as nearby majority-minority communities like Lawrence and Chelsea. There are no demographics that play a role in deciding where it delivers same-day. “Yet in cities where most of those paying members are concentrated in predominantly white parts of town, a solely data-driven calculation that looks at numbers instead of people can reinforce long-entrenched inequality in access to retail services,” said Bloomberg writers. Amazon spokesman Scott Stanzel responded in a statement, “We will continue expanding our delivery capabilities and are adding more zip codes rapidly”. Either way, the free same-day service is popular and Roxbury Prime members want it available in their city.

For orders $35 and over, Prime members are able to receive same-day delivery free. This is very impressive, as well as attractive for shoppers that probably order from Amazon regularly above the threshold. They also pay a $99 annual fee to be a Prime member, which also includes Amazon's two-day free shipping as well. Prime is what Amazon is pushing more than ever, as the e-retailer increased the free two-day shipping threshold from $35 to $49 to qualify for free two-day shipping for Non-Prime members in hopes to convert them into annual subscribers.

Amazon has been expanding free same-day delivery throughout this year, adding 11 more major US cities to its' free same-day delivery program, which included Sacramento, Stockton, Fresno, Cincinnati, Louisville, Raleigh, Nashville, and others. Boston was among the first large implementation of Amazon's free same-day delivery last year, which consisted of San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle-Tacoma, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Diego, Phoenix, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, Orlando, and Atlanta. Amazon's free service is now in 27 major cities and more are likely to come.

Whether in Roxbury or not, it's clear that Amazon is being relentless in its' pursuit to offering same-day delivery nationwide and other retailers are turning toward offering it also. A Same-Day Courier like A-1 Express is a provider that retailers want to team up with to quickly implement an effective same-day delivery model. The Boston Courier can develop same-day solutions nationwide and generate the market share online that companies are looking for.

Reference: 4.22.16, www.boston.com, Trefis Team, Adam Vaccaro and Allison Pohle,Amazon offers same-day delivery to every Boston neighborhood, except Roxbury