Amazon

Amazon Fresh Not so Fresh Feeling

By Tinuiti Team

This July, Amazon expanded its grocery delivery service Amazon Fresh to San Diego. Previously in Los Angeles, San Franciso, and Seattle, the service boasts same day shipping, a diverse selection, and the ability to shop with local eateries.

Amazon Fresh, a grocery delivery service through Amazon Here at CPC Strategy, we had the chance to test Amazon Fresh for our office, below is an overview of our experience.

Amazon Fresh ReviewAmazon Fresh in San Diego

With gluten free options, fresh produce, and an option to utilize local eateries (often with cheaper prices), Amazon Fresh seemed like the perfect option for our in office grocery needs. Never leave the office? Ok sounds great!

Here are the main bullet points for our Amazon Fresh experience:

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One great feature of Amazon Fresh is same day delivery. An awesome selling point, we were stoked to be able to order items and get them delivered that day.

Unfortunately Amazon failed with on time delivery- waiting on some items that were out of stock. On top of that when the delivery arrived roughly $30 of groceries ordered weren’t included. Amazon refunded the charge completely, but we still ended up with missing items which seems to be the opposite of the point of ordering groceries online. This issue appears to be a common one with Amazon Fresh.

True to Amazon, Amazon Fresh loves to over-package items. We noticed excessive packaging for fresh fruit and cold items. For example Amazon Fresh packaged one turkey packeage in 2 plastic bags with an individual ice pack in a Styrofoam cooler- carried ironically in a re-usable Amazon Fresh bag.Amazon fresh grocery

For local eateries, it’s important to note that many stores require a 2-4 day notice for orders, which adds an additional kink in the same day delivery promise from Amazon Fresh.

Since Amazon fresh is a subscription membership (with a free 30 day trial), our office decided to revert to our previous grocery delivery service, so no Hand of God for us.

Amazon Fresh vs. CostcoCostco grocery delivery

Prior to testing Amazon Fresh, our office has used Costco Business Delivery for our grocery delivery. Below is a breakdown of Costco grocery delivery compared to the Amazon Fresh service.

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On the opposite end of the spectrum from Amazon Fresh, Costco tends to feature items which may be too large, or contain too many products. Costco specializes in bulk groceries, so that may temper your ordering.

Amazon Fresh vs. Google Shopping ExpressGoogle Shopping Express

Google Shopping Express, Google’s delivery service ships nonperishable items from major retailers actually delivers from Costco, alongside Target and REI, with same day (or next day delivery). Unlike Amazon Fresh, Google Shopping Express doesn’t operate on a subscription fee and is primarily in SF.

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Unlike Amazon, Google Shopping Express is hinged on retailer relationships: “The Shopping Express process depends upon partnering with brick and mortar retailers. .Shopping Express sends a contracted courier to pick up the goods from a partner store, where either a Google employee or the retailer’s worker has picked the merchandize off the shelf. 

The order is then taken to a warehouse operated by Google where multiple orders are packed into a vehicle for delivery during a specified time window to the customer.”- Forbes

Overall Amazon Fresh is still new (especially for SD), so I anticipate Amazon will continue to work out kinks in packaging and inventory. In the interim Costco has and continues to be the best grocery option, although I can see Amazon Fresh gaining some ground particularly with its local feature.

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