Amazon Announces Major Delivery Change Affecting 2,300 Cities
Amazon has sped up delivery time, increased delivery to harder to reach areas around the country, and now the company has announced a major delivery change that will affect more than 2,300 cities and towns.
According to Amazon's announcement, those cities and towns will now get "fresh groceries" through same-day delivery services, and even more areas will have the option in 2026. "Perishable groceries" are a major expansion area for the company, especially for those with Prime membership. The goal is "convenience," according to Amazon's December 2025 release.
Amazon's Fresh Grocery Delivery Expansion Has Unfolded Quickly
Amazon sketched out how quickly the expansion has occurred. "In just four months, availability has grown to over 2,300 cities and towns, with additional growth coming in 2026," the company wrote.
"This expanded offering is supported by continued innovation within Amazon’s Same-Day Delivery network designed to deliver more selection, faster—innovation that puts us on track to deliver at our fastest speeds ever for Prime members globally for the third year in a row," added Amazon.
What Are the Most Popular Items Ordered?
Amazon also provided a glimpse into its customers' purchasing habits. "Over the last few months, customers have ordered fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, seafood, baked goods, and frozen foods alongside electronics, books, pantry staples and snacks, and everyday household essentials like paper towels and toothpaste," Amazon wrote.
"In fact, as more customers turn to fast delivery for everyday needs, fresh groceries now make up nine of the top ten most-ordered items. Coming in at number 10, however, is a not-so-surprising everyday household essential—a 12-pack of bathroom tissue," the company added.
Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In some cities, fresh grocery delivery now only takes a few hours, Amazon added.
"This summer, customers in areas of Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, and New York City were enjoying fresh grocery delivery within hours," the company wrote in its release.
Customers throughout the Midwest and some southern states saw the expansion. "With this latest expansion, customers in areas of Boise, ID, Salt Lake City, UT, Fort Collins, CO, Omaha, NE, Sugar Land, TX, Des Moines, IA, Kennesaw, GA, Gaithersburg, MD, and more can now fold their grocery lists right into their Amazon orders," the company wrote.
Amazon Believes There Is High Customer Demand for Perishable Groceries
Amazon indicates that the demand appears to be there as customers desire to get fresh food delivered to their doors, not just electronics, clothing and other items Amazon has previously sold.
"Perishable grocery sales have grown 30 times since January as more customers turn to Same-Day Delivery for fast, convenient access to fresh groceries," the company added. "Perhaps most telling is the shift in shopping patterns: customers who add fresh groceries to their Same-Day Delivery orders shop about twice as often as those who don’t."
"The selection, value, and convenience of Same-Day Delivery from Amazon makes grocery shopping that much easier for families across the country," said Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores. "We're seeing customers combine their fresh grocery orders with their regular Amazon purchases, like electronics, gifts, clothes, and household essentials, in ways that make their lives easier and save them valuable time."