Amazon customers in some cities will soon be able to receive their orders on any day of the week. The online retail giant announced Monday that it is partnering with the U.S. Postal Service to offer Sunday delivery in select cities, starting with Los Angeles and New York. The move will be popular with the company’s Prime subscribers, who receive free 2-day shipping on many items. The traditional weekend break usually disrupted that promise, but the company was quick to point out in its press release that customers in eligible cities can now take the 2-day slogan literally, regardless of which day they place their order.
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can order a backpack for your child on Friday and be packing it for them Sunday night. We’re excited that now every day is an Amazon delivery day and we know our Prime members, who voraciously shop on Amazon, will love the additional convenience they will experience as part of this new service.
Customers logged in to their Amazon accounts will be able to see which items are eligible for Sunday delivery based on item availability and delivery address. The new strategy may also help the beleaguered Postal Service, which has seen mounting losses in recent years, although the move does not escape the irony that the service pushed hard last spring to cease Saturday mail delivery.
Sunday deliveries for New York and LA will begin rolling out immediately, with Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, and Phoenix following suit throughout 2014. While the service may never be practical in rural areas, we expect other cities to join the program next year if it proves successful.