Amazon's Same-Day Christmas Eve Delivery
By Megan Zielinski, contributing writer
All Amazon customers who are still in the process of searching for the perfect holiday gifts with Christmas just days away can anticipate to have it delivered before Santa makes his annual stop—with extended shipping opportunities this holiday season, Amazon is allowing all procrastinating gift-givers to receive their orders just in time for it to be nicely wrapped and placed under the Christmas tree.
Bypassing the regular $35 minimum purchase fee, Amazon will be fulfilling customer’s orders for free before Christmas when placed by December 19. For the small price of $2.99 per item, Prime members have until December 23 to receive their orders in-time, while members living in select popular urban locations including New York City, Phoenix AZ, and San Francisco have the advantage of purchasing items as late as 10 a.m. Christmas Eve to arrive on their doorstep no later than 9 p.m. Same-day delivery for Prime members cost $5.99 per item, regular customers living in the areas of service can also use same-day delivery at the starting price of $9.98 for the first item and $.99 for anything extra—a large selection of eligible items available through same-day delivery can be found at amazon.com/sameday.
Amazon is among other major competitive retailers including Target, Walmart, Nordstrom, Banana Republic—gifting customers with free shipping of online orders for any amount spent this holiday season. With nearly 64 percent of surveyed consumers agree that free shipping during the holidays is the most effective promotion to satisfy customers—retailers are coming to recognize the importance of offering free shipping and same-day delivery as an incentive to drive traffic and sales during the busiest, most-profitable time of the year. In November, both Target and Walmart announced free holiday shipping available to customers until December 20 on all items, minus any subscription or minimum purchasing fees. "We know shipping costs play a big role in online purchasing decisions... We believe our free shipping offer will create excitement and incremental sales for Target," said Kathee Tesija, Target's executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. Other companies such as Sears, Best Buy, Toys R Us, and GameStop provide free shipping until the end of this week with a minimum rate ranging from $25-$50 dollars, guaranteeing products will be delivered on time for Christmas.