Amazon Rolls Out Same-Day Delivery


A push for same-day delivery by the online mega-retailer may hurt local brick and mortar stores, worrying some in the small business community. However, there’s another side of the story. The trend toward online retail will also benefit small online merchants, and not all the local brick and mortar businesses at risk are moms and pops.

Up the Amazon

Out WalMarting WalMart. Buy a $1,000 laptop at a big box store, and you’ll pay sales tax, bringing the cost up to $1,100 at checkout. So Amazon, which collects no sales tax in most states, already has the biggest brick and mortar retailer beat. But the online retailer seems willing to give all of that up for an even bigger advantage. Slate

Instant gratification. Amazon is introducing same-day delivery and here are the details from the company’s main site. Some are concerned the development may be a final nail in the coffin for local brick and mortar retail as e-commerce success grows. Amazon.com

Liquidating local. The change could easily devastate physical retailers. Same-day delivery has been a Holy Grail of sorts for online retailers because it is the last advantage physical stores have against encroaching e-commerce. Up until now, if a customer needed a product or service immediately they had little choice but to buy it locally. Gizmodo

The Biggest Loser

Breaking the chains. But as it turns out, the local stores that may be most affected by the acceleration of e-commerce may not be small mom and pop businesses at all. In fact, the businesses most threatened by the surge in e-commerce including small online merchants may be the very big boxes that put small local businesses on the defensive in the first place. All Things Digital

Retail Revolution

E-commerce expansion. While the explosion of retail on the Web is spelling trouble for some brands, others are seeing greater reach than ever before. Take beach-themed outfitter Tommy Bahama. The company’s global e-commerce platform will capture markets previously out of reach.Your business might discover similar opportunities. Chicago Tribune

Google searches for your store. The search engine company is doing its part to help online merchants large and small with a pilot “Search as You Type” program. For more on how the new search feature will help online merchants, read the full post from Google and watch the video. Google Commerce

Delivering the details. Amazon and the US Post Office are making it even easier for shoppers seeking to overcome one of the larger barriers to shopping online: having packages sit on the front door step all day. Both organizations have programs designating deliveries to a lock box with a special PIN number that allows shoppers to open the box upon delivery. Better Business Bureau


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  1. I hadn’t heard about the lock box program the US Post Office and Amazon put together. Thank you for the roundup.

  2. This is an excellent aggregation of stories related to this announcement by Amazon.

    The onus is now on small businesses on how to respond to this. I would think this challenges their ability to sell price-competitive commodity products effectively, but I wonder if there are creative ways to offer service opportunities at the local level that Amazon cannot offer.

  3. This could be great not only for consumers but the USPS as well. I can see a huge possibility of an increase in their revenue.

  4. There’s not reason not to order from Amazon anymore. It’s getting better and better.

  5. Great news for Amazon fans like me!