When Amazon Prime was first introduced in 2005, it cost $79 per year and offered free two-day shipping. Over the years the price benefits have expanded to offer additional perks, such as access to groceries through Prime Now and Prime Pantry, streaming media through Prime Video and Prime Music, and more.
While Amazon Prime’s costs have risen to $119 year, the program has more than 100 million members worldwide and Amazon recently announced that all members will soon have access to the free One-Day Shipping program.
If I order something today, will it arrive tomorrow at my doorstep?
Not exactly.
Amazon and other marketplaces count shipping from the date the item is shipped from a fulfillment center, not from the order date. The difference is considered processing time, which may take several days. Below are Walmart’s Shipping Standards for Marketplace Sellers.
Are you ready for One-Day Shipping?
Expectations for fast shipping from customers can be very demanding, and marketplaces have started promoting products with fast shipping over those without. In order to compete, sellers will need to either restructure their process or work with a specialized 3PL company to meet market demands.
