Many stores are now offering grocery shopping and delivery services for their clients. You have options from curb-side pickups to home deliveries making spending hours in a grocery store a thing of the past.
Amazon Fresh is one of the newer services offering this convenience. But what exactly is Amazon Fresh and how can you get started?
What Is Amazon Fresh?
Amazon Fresh is a grocery service that offers delivery and pick-up in numerous cities across the United States. Amazon Prime members, and some customers who have an invitations, can use Amazon Fresh to shop for food, household goods, and everyday items.
To learn everything about how Amazon Fresh works, from what exactly t is to how to start using the service, the main differences between Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods, and much, much more, keep reading….
What Brands Does Amazon Fresh Offer?
Amazon Fresh mainly stocks its own essential products and brands but they do offer some favorites you may recognize, such as:
Beverage Brands:
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters
- AHA
- Pepsi
- Coke
- Starbucks
- Aquafina
- Nestle
- Dasani
- Arizona
- Zevia
- Vita Coco
- Bubly
- Pure Leaf
- TAZO
Dairy and Eggs Brands:
- Fresh
- Happy Belly
- 365 Whole Foods
Snack Food Brands:
- Aplenty
- Annie’s
- Kettle
- Boom Chicka Pop
- Smartfood
- Lays
- Doritos
- Mott’s
- Dole
- Philadelphia
- Tostitos
Produce Farms and Brands:
- Taylor Farms
- Gotham Greens
- Little Leaf Farms
- Organicgirl
- Earthbound Farm
- Ocean Spray
- Fyffes
- Wonderful Halos
- D’Anjou
- Zespri
Household Supply Brands:
- Ziploc
- Glade
- Febreze
- Bounty
- Shout
- Kleenex
- Tide
- Betty Crocker
The brands may vary from city-to-city as not all Amazon Fresh stores are the same.
If you enter your zip-code when on the Amazon fresh website, you’ll get a better idea of which brands are and aren’t available for purchase in your region.
Is Amazon Fresh Its Own Grocery Store?
Yes, Amazon Fresh is a chain of individual, physical store locations. You haave the option of going in-person and shopping for your favorite items yourself.
With that said, most people opt for the delivery and pickup service offered as it’s much more convenient for Prime members.
Where Is Amazon Fresh Available?
Amazon Fresh is growing quickly and has numerous store locations. They are currently available in the following US cities:
- Atlanta
- Baltimore
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Denver
- Houston
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Minneapolis
- New York
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Washington DC
Anyone who lives in or near these cities can start taking advantage of Amazon Fresh delivery service.
To see if you qualify for Amazon Fresh, simply put your zip-code on the Amazon Fresh website and see if they offer deliver an/or pickup in your area.
If Amazon Fresh isn’t available in your area yet, make sure to come back and check in a couple of months as they are growing quickly!
Where Does Amazon Fresh Get Its Groceries?
Amazon uses a variety of brands to stock up its stores. Like major retailers, such as Walmart and Target, you can find brands like Philadelphia and Motts. This allows Amazon Fresh to compete with major grocery stores and be a one-stop shop for their customers.
Amazon Fresh is, however, focusing more and more on stocking their own product lines such as 365 Whole Foods, Fresh, and Happy Belly.
Can I Buy Alcohol From Amazon Fresh?
Yes, Amazon fresh does deliver wine, beer, and other liquors. They are partnered with numerous restaurants and local liquor stores which allows them to have a variety of options for their customers.
In order to receive alcohol, customers must be at home to show a valid ID at the time of delivery. Anyone under the legal drinking age or simply not being home when the delivery is being made will not receive their shipment and it will be returned to the store.
Customers who live near a Whole Foods will have a much bigger selection of alcohol and liquor through the Amazon Fresh website.
Is Amazon Fresh Exclusive For Prime Members?
Only Prime members (or those who have receive an invitation to shop at Amazon Fresh) can use the service at this time.
You can use a free Prime trial to test out the service. Any and all Prime memberships, from the regular Prime to the Amazon Prime Student qualify to shop at Amazon Fresh.
One caveat is Prime Video members (without a regular Prime Membership) cannot use Prime Fresh.
Invited guests and Prime household members can also shop at Prime Fresh.
How Can I Shop At Amazon Fresh Without A Prime Membership?
If you don’t have an Amazon Prime membership there are still a couple of ways you can use the service.
On the Amazon Fresh website, you can request an invitation to shop at a store near you. If accepted, you can shop at the Amazon Fresh store assigned to you without an Amazon prime membership.
Also, customers that use EBT card can shop and pay for valid purchases at their Amazon Fresh store.
Is Amazon Fresh Free For Prime Members?
As long as your order meets the minimum, Amazon Prime members can qualify for free shipping.
The minimum varies from location-to-location, typically between $35-$50 before taxes.
If your groceries don’t meet the minimum threshold, you’ll have to pay a delivery fee which varies depending on how quickly you want your groceries. Typically between $5-$8.
How Does The Amazon Fresh Market Work?
Amazon Fresh has created a simple and intuitive system to shop online for groceries and everyday essentials.
In order to get started all you have to do is:
- Create or log into you Amazon Prime account
- Click the Shop Now button
- Browse the catalog and fill your cart with groceries
- Once ready, either select Delivery or the Pick Up at Store option
Grocery delivers must be scheduled in two hour windows and are free when you reach the minimum threshold of you particular Amazon Fresh store ($35-$50.)
You also have the option of adding your regular grocery items to your cart automatically to be purchased at a later date.
Customers can easily cancel or add items with no extra cost so long as the Amazon attendant hasn’t begun packing your order.
You also have the option of changing your tip up to 24 hours after the items hvae been delivered.
If you own an Alexa, you can also use it to fill your Amazon Fresh cart easily. Simply say “Alexa, add eggs to my Amazon Fresh cart.”
If there are any problems with an order, you can contact Amazon customer service at any time to resolve the issue.
What Is The Minimum Order For Amazon Fresh To Qualify For Free Delivery?
Amazon Fresh requires orders to be a certain amount before you can qualify for free delivery.
This minimum varies by store location. Most locations have a minimum of $35 while some major cities have a minimum cost of $50.
You can check your minimum threshold for your location on the Amazon Fresh website.
Can You Use Key By Amazon For Fresh Deliveries?
In select cities you can use Key by Amazon for Fresh deliveries.
Key By Amazon is a service that allows Amazon delivery drivers to access a customers home, garage, or even car to leave packages and prevent stealing.
Head on over to Amazon’s Zip Code Eligibility page to check if you qualify for this service. You can ask you local Amazon Fresh store or contact Amazon customer service for more information on the program.
Is There A Difference Between Amazon Fresh And Whole Foods?
Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods are separate entities entirely. Both allow Amazon Prime members to use their account to shop, but they operate differently.
Amazon Fresh offers a variety of brands, similar to major retailers like Walmart and Target.
Whole Foods sells organic and, typically, higher prices items.
Amazon Fresh is meant for everyday grocery items while Whole Foods haas always targeted health and environmentally-conscious consumers.
How Much Should I Tip Amazon Fresh Delivery Drivers?
Tips are completely optional. Any and all tips go directly to the courier and you can edit it up to 24 hours after the delivery.
The standard tip for delivery is 10% for those who do choose to leave a tip.
Is Amazon Fresh Global Or Only Available In The US?
Amazon Fresh is growing rapidly and globally.
Currently, you can find Amazon Fresh in most major U.S cities as well as international cities like Berlin, London, Hamburg, Rome, Tokyo, Singapore, Milan, and India.
Amazon Fresh is not available in Mexico or Canada yet.
When Does Amazon Fresh Restock?
The exact time of restocks vary across locations but they generally restock their goods within 30 days of running low or out of a product.
You can check the stock of your local Amazon Fresh on their website with your zip-code.
Do I Have To Return The Amazon Fresh Delivery Bags?
No, you can keep and reuse the Amazon Fresh delivery bags as you see fit.
Amazon does not require, or expect, customers to return the green tote bags they deliver groceries with.
What To Do With The Amazon Fresh Bags?
The green tote bags that are a staple of amazon Fresh deliveries are reusable and recyclable. You can use these bags during your next grocery trip and save on plastic.
Amazon does offer tote pick ups if you don’t want to use yours and don’t wish to throw them away. By leaving your bag outside during your next delivery, the courier will take them when dropping off your new groceries.
Sometimes Amazon Fresh uses brown paper bags and cardboard dividers. These are also recyclable.
If any of your bags arrive damaged, Amazon urges their customers to contact customer support to report the issue.
If any items were damaged due to poor packaging and preparations, Amazon will likely give you a refund of the goods that were damaged.
In Conclusion…
Amazon Fresh is a grocery delivery and pick-up service that brings your groceries and everyday items directly to your home. Amazon Prime members can start shopping on Amazon Fresh immediately if there is store servicing their area.
You can check whether your city/region offers Amazon Fresh by entering your zip-code in the Amazon Fresh website.
Want to learn even more about Amazon? Check out these related posts on when does Amazon charge you and how late does Amazon deliver