Amazon is taking on UK supermarkets, launching its ‘Pantry’ service delivering grocery goods to Prime customers.
The next-day delivery service charges by the box has been available in the US, Japan, Germany and Austria for some time.
The company is expected to launch its full grocery service, AmazonFresh, in the UK in the near future, delivery perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables.
Prime members will be able to fill a Pantry box with up to 20kg of groceries from a list of 4,000 items including food and drink, household supplies, pet care and health and beauty products.
A first box costs £2.99 with further boxes charged at 99p.
It’s not the first time Amazon has offered food and drink. The company has been selling these through its online “Grocery Store” since 2010, although this was limited to its normal delivery methods.
“Amazon Pantry has been designed to take the heavy lifting out of replenishing the often bulky basics and store cupboard essentials that people need every day,” said Helene Parthenay, Amazon Pantry manager at Amazon.co.uk.
The company is expected to launch its full grocery service, AmazonFresh, in the UK in the near future. That service, which offers fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products and meat with free same-day delivery for orders of more than $35, is currently only available in Seattle, California and New York.