Amazon has offered pantry staples for years, but their newest program, Fresh, allows you to get your entire grocery list delivered straight to your door. Grocery delivery is easy and a great time saver. If you’ve been thinking about trying the new Fresh program, read on to find out all about how it works and everything you need to know to get started. Read More »
How Amazon Fresh Works
Amazon Fresh is a grocery and essentials delivery services available to Prime members in select areas. Currently, you must have an invitation to use the Fresh program. You can request an invitation through the website.
To use the program, go to the Fresh website or app and choose the items you want. The items are organized by category, or you can search, making it easy to find what you need. Add everything to your shopping cart.
Once you are ready to check out, you will choose a delivery window when an associate will drop off your order. You have the option of contactless delivery. Items are packaged to stay cold until delivery, after which you will need to put in the freezer or refrigerator.
Some locations also offer the option to pick up your groceries at a designated location.
What Types of Food Are Available?
Fresh offers a wide variety of name brand foods, generic brands and local offerings. You can get pretty much anything you can get at a regular grocery store, including fresh produce, meats, dairy and more.
As associate will do the shopping for you, and the company guarantees that your products will be fresh and of the best quality, just as if you picked everything out yourself.
You can also order other essentials, like cleaning supplies, medicine, personal care items and pet food. Alcohol is available, but you must be present at the time of delivery to show your ID.
Who Is Eligible for Amazon Fresh?
You must first live in an area where Fresh is offered. It is currently offered in most major metropolitan areas with plans to expand in the future.
You must also be a Prime member. Prime is a monthly subscription service that gets you free two-day shipping, streaming video and music and more. As a Prime member, your Fresh order will be delivered for free as long as you have reached a minimum order cost. This minimum cost varies by region.
Now that most of the country is in quarantine and many more people are having their groceries delivered, the Fresh service has been a bit overwhelmed. As a result, if you want the service, you will have to request an invitation. You will be waitlisted and will get access to the service once spots become available.
How Much Does Amazon Fresh Cost?
There is no cost for the Fresh program itself, other than your payment for the groceries. You do need a Prime subscription, which currently costs $12.99 per month or $119 each year. Most regions have a minimum grocery cost of between $35-50, and some cities will let you pay for delivery if you come under the minimum.
Pros
Grocery delivery is convenient. You do not have to spend time at the grocery store, and you can keep a running list to make sure you always have what you need.
If you are trying to avoid crowds or coming into contact with others, Fresh’s contactless delivery option lets the associate leave your order right on your doorstep.
Amazon Fresh is easy to use. After you have used the service a few times, the program gives you a list of frequently-ordered items so that you can easily reorder things you use often.
If you have an Echo or another device that uses Alexa, you can add items to your grocery list simply by telling Alexa what you want.
Many other services require you to pick up your groceries, only offer dry goods or have a high delivery fee. Fresh does not require you to leave the house. It offers a wide range of groceries, on par with what you would buy while shopping. If you are already a Prime member, you will not have to account for any extra fees.
Prime fees are slightly higher than other grocery delivery service fees, but you get so much more with a Prime subscription, including 2-day shipping, streaming video, audio, photo storage and so much more.
While some prices are higher than what you may find at your local grocery store, others are lower. Most users find that, on average, Fresh balances out to be about the same price as what they normally pay for groceries.
You can make changes to your order up until the associate starts to shop for you. It’s easy to change directly in the app.
The service comes with quite a bit of packaging, which can be bad for the environment. However, you can recycle much of the packaging and can leave insulated bags by your door on your next delivery. The associate will take the bags so that the bags can be reused.
Cons
You have to spend a minimum amount in order to get free shipping. If you only need a few items, this service may not be as useful. However, if you can get organized, Fresh can save you a lot of time.
If you currently use Amazon to get Whole Foods deliveries, you cannot combine your Fresh and Whole Foods orders to get one delivery. You will have to make two separate orders. However, there are many Whole Foods items available through Fresh, so you may be able to get everything you need.
Items you need or want may not be available at the time of your order, necessitating a trip to the grocery store.
Overall, the Fresh service is competitive with most of the other grocery services currently available. It can save you time and money. If you are already a Prime member, this service is definitely worth it.
