Amazon offers free shipping on small goods, with no minimum order requirement
Amazon.com has introduced free shipping on popular “small” items, with no minimum order requirement. The service will be available to all customers, including those who have not signed up for Amazon Prime.
Amazon reportedly started offering the programme on a trial base about three months ago and then introduced it on Monday (1 June).
The offering covers a range of items that weigh 8 ounces (230 grams) or less, and cost $10 or under. Depending on the customer’s location, delivery will take between four and eight business days from a shipping hub in Kentucky, which will be specifically stocked for the programme, called “Fulfillment by Amazon Small and Light”.
The announcement is seen as part of Amazon’s ongoing tussle with eBay for the more cost-conscious end of the e-commerce market.
As previously reported, Amazon has been making a major play to sign up more online buyers to its Amazon Prime service, which in the US now offers free, unlimited, same-day deliveries for orders over $35, and free two-day shipping for orders under $35.
Offering free delivery for small, inexpensive items may mean that Amazon will be barely breaking even on some transactions, but it will perhaps allow the company to reach out to an even wider customer base – some of whom may be enticed by the Amazon Prime bundled offering of fast, convenient deliveries and streaming movies and music.
