Amazon Prime customers in West Campus can now have items delivered to them in one hour, thanks to the expansion of Prime Now to several Austin zip codes.
Prime Now, a service accessible to Amazon Prime users, delivers items such as laundry detergent, grocery items and electronics to customers in two hours for free and in one hour for $7.99.
The new, fast-paced delivery system has been in progress for a long time, according to Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Cheeseman.
“Since day one, we have been building the infrastructure to support superfast delivery,” Cheeseman said in an email. “This is our fastest delivery method yet and is fueled by Amazon’s growing network of fulfillment centers.”
Amazon introduced Prime Now in Dallas before it came to certain Austin zip codes, including central and north Austin, and the program plans to expand to more areas in Austin over time.
Kevin Gwen, biology freshman and Amazon Prime user, said when he first heard that he could order items and get them delivered within one hour, he thought it was a joke, but said he plans on putting the service to good use.
“It should be really exciting because I think I can just get whatever I need in an hour, which is good, especially being a college student,” Gwen said. “The potential is limitless. The wait isn’t two days anymore. Now, if I need something, I can get it within the hour, and emergency situations get a lot easier.”
Although the new service has the potential to save time and money, there might be other foreseeable downsides, according to Rachel Steinkamp, journalism and theater and dance senior and Amazon Prime user.
“The only thing that I kind of see as the downside to this is that now I have to tip the delivery guy, and so that’s one of the Catch 22’s,” Steinkamp said. “I’m also really worried about what they’re going to do with traffic. Can you really guarantee two-hour delivery when you’re all the way across town, and it’s rush hour, and I-35 is always a mess?”
Although for some there might be several catches to the new service, the thought of one-hour delivery in Austin is an exciting one, according to Cheeseman.
“We are very excited to bring Prime Now to Austin, and we know customers will love the convenience of one hour delivery,” Cheeseman said.
