Amazon just made it a lot more convenient for some Tennessee shoppers to get Whole Foods groceries.
The e-commerce giant on Wednesday launched its ultra-fast Whole Foods grocery delivery service in 10 markets, bringing the total to 38 U.S. cities.
Two of those markets are in Arizona -- Phoenix and Tucson. In addition, the service expanded to Charlotte, Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, and Seattle.
Amazon Prime members in Phoenix and Tucson can shop on Prime Now via the app or website for thousands of Whole Foods products, including fresh produce, meat, seafood, everyday staples, bakery items, dairy and flowers for delivery in as little as an hour.
“Prime Now delivery continues to be a hit with our customers and we’re excited to introduce the service in ten new cities plus more areas of New York, Los Angeles and Dallas/Ft. Worth,” Christina Minardi, Whole Foods Market’s executive vice president of operations, said in a statement. “It’s just another way we’re making it even easier for more customers to enjoy Whole Foods Market’s healthy and organic food.”
Amazon bought Whole Foods for $13.7B last year
Amazon Prime Now is available to Amazon Prime members, who pay $119 a year for free, two-day shipping through Amazon, access to Amazon's video streaming service and other benefits. On Prime Now, two-hour delivery is free for orders of more than $35.
The announcement is the latest effort to grow Whole Foods’ customer base after Amazon agreed to buy the 470-unit chain of high-end organic supermarkets for $13.7 billion last year.
Since then, Amazon has lowered prices on some Whole Foods items, expanded the Whole Foods delivery service across the country and integrated its Amazon member perks into the Whole Foods business model. For example, Amazon Rewards Visa cardholders can earn 5 percent back at Whole Foods.
Grocery delivery and curbside pickup are growing in popularity as consumers increasingly opt for convenience while shopping.
In August, Kroger debuted Kroger Ship in Nashville and three other U.S. markets with tens of thousands of pantry items available for delivery. Shipt and Instacart grocery delivery services also operate in the Nashville market.
Reach Lizzy Alfs at lalfs@tennessean.com or 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.
12 News contributed to this report.
