Amazon brings same and next day delivery service to more smaller US cities, towns, rural communities

Amazon has announced plans to expand Prime same-day and next-day delivery to tens of millions of US customers in more than 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities by the end of the year.

“Everybody loves fast delivery. So, whether you live in Monmouth, Iowa or in downtown Los Angeles, now you're going to have the same fantastic Amazon customer experience: the ability to get the wide variety of items you need to keep your household running every day, delivered the same or next day,” says Doug Herrington, CEO at Worldwide Amazon Stores.

A key feature of this expansion is the option for customers to shop Amazon’s everyday essentials, which encompasses a selection of groceries and household goods. According to the company, the response from customers in the more than 1,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities where it has already begun offering free same-day and next-day delivery has been very positive.

As a result of the faster delivery speeds, customers in these areas are shopping Amazon’s store more frequently and purchasing household essentials at meaningfully higher rates. Of the top 50 repurchased items for same-day delivery in these areas, over 90% are everyday essentials items.

The firm is investing over $4 billion to triple the size of its delivery network by the end of 2026. It is turning existing rural delivery stations into hybrid hubs that serve multiple functions. This includes storing inventory on site to enable delivery within hours and preparing packages for final delivery to customers.

And it is also using machine learning algorithms to predict which items will resonate with local Prime members based on their unique needs. This includes stocking a mix of the most popular and frequently purchased items like wireless headphones, coffee pods, crackers, paper towels, and diapers, and products curated to fit local preferences like wild bird food in Dubuque, Iowa, travel backpacks in Findlay, Ohio, and after sun body butter in Sharptown, Maryland.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online delivery will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.