Amazon launches Amazon Pantry offer for Amazon Prime members in the UK
14 Nov 2015
Amazon yesterday, challenged the UK's long-established supermarket with a countrywide pantry offer for members of Amazon Prime called Amazon Pantry.
The initiative comes as the e-commerce giant makes inroads into the UK online grocery niche.
Amazon Pantry will not be a UK version of the online retail giant's US Amazon Fresh service, which offers a wide-range of chilled, frozen and perishable products.
Retail experts had projected that the US company was poised to launch its Amazon Fresh in the UK next year.
The new-fangled ''Amazon Pantry'' offers over 4,000 ''everyday essentials, in everyday sizes'', including popular brands of food and beverages, household products, health, beauty, baby, child, pet care, etc.
The service with nationwide availability is only open to customers with an Amazon Prime subscription, which usually costs £79 a year but was currently on offer at £59.
Amazon had been trying to push people to subscribe to Amazon Prime.
Members can order Amazon Pantry box (up to 20 kilograms) and can expect it to be delivered in a day with a £2.99-pound fee for the first box and 99-pence subsequent orders.
According to Helene Parthenay, the manager of the Amazon Pantry, ''Amazon Pantry has been designed to take the heavy lifting out of replenishing the often bulky basics and store cupboard essentials that people need every day.''
Unlike the traditional one-off charge used by other supermarkets for deliveries, customers would be allocated boxes capable of carrying up to 20kg of goods.
In September, the online giant introduced a more limited grocery delivery service in London and Birmingham, offering a range of around 60 chilled and frozen food items.
Parthenay added, "We are always looking to innovate on behalf of our customers and find ways to save them time and money.''
Amazon said it planned to add "thousands" more products to its Pantry range in the coming weeks.
The company was also rumoured to be planning to launch the AmazonFresh service in the UK which would offer fresh meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables.
