Photo: Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767 / photographed by Chad Slattery
Amazon has announced that it is eliminating the $25 minimum spend over the holidays for all of its U.S. customers. This program should substantially accelerate Amazon’s purchases as the minimum spend is generally one of the reasons why consumers prefer to go to brick-and-mortar retail stores for holiday shopping.
In 2013, Amazon increased its free shipping price from a $25 minimum spend to $35. Then the minimum spend for free shipping increased to $49 in 2016. However, it dropped back down to $35 in 2017. And then the minimum spend dropped down to $25 again three months later.
Other retailers have been competitive when it comes to online shopping as well. Target recently said it was going to offer free two-day shipping for certain products without a minimum purchase required over the holiday season. And Walmart is also making shipping free for products, but it requires a minimum spend of $35.
The free shipping offer begins today and it is expected to available up until late December. This offer is being applied to hundreds of millions of items.
Amazon Prime members are already eligible for free same-day and two-day shipping so this program benefits non-Prime members.
But Amazon pointed out that tens of millions of Prime members in the U.S. can shop free same-day delivery on more than three million eligible items.
And Prime members in more than 60 cities can receive delivery in as little as an hour from Whole Foods via Prime Now.
“This holiday, customers can enjoy free shipping with no minimum purchase amount on orders that will arrive in time for Christmas, including items from Amazon’s expertly curated Gift Guides across electronics, fashion, home, and toys,” said Amazon’s SVP of North American Retail at Amazon Doug Herrington in a statement. “With hundreds of millions of items available for free shipping to all Amazon customers and more than three million items available with Prime FREE Same-Day Delivery, customers can enjoy the largest selection of items that are fast and free.”
Currently, Amazon is counting more than 100 million paid Prime members around the world. The Amazon Prime membership also includes Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, Amazon Photos, Twitch Prime, early access to Lightning Deals, and discounts at Whole Foods.
