The battle among U.S. e-commerce intensifies! Amazon launches "1-Hour Delivery," directly competing with Walmart

Amazon is taking the competition for delivery speed to new heights to directly counter the e-commerce pressure from rivals like Walmart.

According to Reuters, Amazon announced on Tuesday the official launch of 1-hour and 3-hour delivery services in multiple cities across the United States, covering major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and Chicago, as well as smaller cities like Boise.

The service includes over 90,000 products and is available to both Prime members and non-members for an additional fee. Udit Madan, Amazon's Senior Vice President of Global Operations, stated that the company aims to create more value for Prime members by leveraging its existing operational expertise and delivery network.

This move is aimed squarely at Walmart—the latter has publicly claimed that it can meet 95% of U.S. households' delivery needs within 3 hours, thanks to its vast network of physical stores.

At the same time, instant delivery platforms like Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats are also accelerating their layouts, reshaping the competitive landscape of the fast e-commerce market in the U.S. and putting continuous pressure on market shares of related industry participants.

Service Details: Over 90,000 Products, Tiered Pricing for Additional Fees

Amazon stated that the 3-hour delivery service has been launched in approximately 2,000 cities and towns across the U.S., while the 1-hour delivery covers several hundred areas within that. Deliverable products include groceries, cleaning supplies, over-the-counter medications, clothing, and toys, with fresh food also available in some regions.

In terms of pricing, Prime members must pay an additional $9.99 for 1-hour delivery and $4.99 for 3-hour delivery; the corresponding fees for non-Prime members are $19.99 and $14.99, respectively.

To ensure the efficiency of ultra-fast delivery fulfillment, Amazon has set up dedicated workstations within its existing same-day delivery centers to handle these orders, introduced yellow exclusive labels for quick package identification, and updated in-station signage for efficient sorting by delivery personnel.

On the shopping interface, Amazon has added a dedicated entry page where users can directly filter products available for 1-hour or 3-hour delivery in search results, or check related options through its "getitfast" page.

Historical Evolution: From Two-Day to Minute-Level, Speed Competition Over Twenty Years

Amazon's pursuit of delivery speed has a long history. In 2005, the company launched a free two-day delivery service with the Prime membership program, and has continued to enhance it. In 2019, the standard was compressed from two days to next-day delivery, and in recent years, it has significantly expanded the coverage of same-day delivery, which typically can be completed within a few hours.

In the ultra-fast delivery sector, Amazon has made multiple attempts over the years, with mixed results. In 2021, the company shut down its independently operated Prime Now rapid delivery service; in 2024, a service promising quick delivery from malls and physical retailers was also announced to be discontinued.

Amazon's "Amazon Now" project is still ongoing—this project focuses on delivering essential daily items and fresh food within 30 minutes and is currently being piloted in Seattle, Philadelphia, and international markets such as the UAE, India, Brazil, and Mexico In addition, Amazon has been deeply engaged in drone delivery for over ten years, initially launching in two small test markets and now expanding to multiple cities. Madan stated in a statement: "Twenty years after the launch of Prime, we are still innovating to make delivery faster while maintaining Amazon's consistent low prices and wide selection."

Competitive Pressure: Walmart Leads, Instant Delivery Platforms Rush to Catch Up

Amazon's acceleration is a direct response to the increasingly fierce competition in the U.S. express delivery market. Walmart, leveraging its extensive physical store resources across the U.S., has formed a unique geographical advantage in delivery timeliness, using its ability to deliver to 95% of households within three hours as a core competitive leverage, directly pressuring Amazon.

On a broader market level, rapid commerce platforms like Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats are collaborating with an increasing number of retailers to extend instant delivery capabilities beyond fresh produce, further compressing Amazon's differentiation space.

Amazon stated that the company expects to expand its one-hour and three-hour delivery services to more regions in the coming months. This expansion is driven by its existing same-day delivery network, reflecting the company's strategic direction of upgrading its existing infrastructure to higher timeliness standards.