On Tuesday (3rd), Amazon launched Amazon Now, a fastest 15-minute delivery service, marking the company's official entry into the ultra-fast delivery sector in Brazil and its first-time sale of fresh and frozen foods in Brazil.

According to Zhongjin, the service will be rolled out in phases, initially covering designated addresses in eight cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, and Belo Oriente. Amazon promises delivery within 15 minutes once the order is confirmed for purchase. Customers can check if their address is within the service coverage area on the Amazon website.

The Amazon Now service supports the purchase of fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, ice cream, frozen foods, cold drinks, as well as personal hygiene and cleaning products, with a minimum order amount of 15 reais. This operating model works through urban micro-distribution centers, with delivery personnel directly delivering goods from the center to the door, without stopping at other sites along the way.

Amazon Prime members can enjoy the Amazon Now delivery service for free, while other customers need to pay a delivery fee of 5.49 reais per order. Currently, as part of a promotional campaign, the company stated that no service fees will be charged for now, but the specific timing for charging fees has not been determined. Customers can also tip delivery personnel, with the tip amount being fully paid to the delivery staff.

Qualifying products will be labeled as "Amazon Now" on the website and app. Once products are selected, consumers will be directed to the shopping cart and proceed to a checkout page designed specifically for orders to be delivered within minutes, different from the traditional shopping process.

Consumers can pay using credit cards or Pix. After confirming payment, customers will receive a WhatsApp link to track the delivery person's route in real-time and send additional instructions if necessary, without sharing personal data.

Fernanda Grumach, Amazon's Shopping Experience Director, explained that most micro-distribution centers operate from 7 am to 11 pm, with some centers operating 24 hours.

Grumach stated that the company conducted multiple tests to ensure delivery within 15 minutes. If delivery is not made on time, consumers can contact customer service, which will analyze the specific situation.

This launch is part of Amazon's logistics expansion plans in Brazil. Since establishing operations in Brazil in 2012, the company has invested 55 billion reais in technology, infrastructure, and personnel. By 2025, 100 new logistics centers will be put into operation, bringing the total number of logistics centers in Brazil to over 250. Last year, over 50 million items were delivered to Prime members on the same day or the next day.

Juliana Sztrajtman, Amazon Brazil's CEO, stated that the focus on supermarkets and daily consumer goods aims to increase customer loyalty and repeat purchases. She noted that while the average prices of many products are lower, their strategy is to encourage frequent purchases and expand the platform's usage.

The launch of Amazon Now further enriches Amazon's existing fast delivery services, such as same-day delivery or delivery within three hours in some areas.

Through this new service, Amazon will compete with delivery apps such as iFood, Rappi, and Daki, which also promise grocery delivery within minutes. Nevertheless, Amazon will initially operate this service in partnership with Rappi's ultra-fast delivery vertical platform, Rappi Turbo.

In the online retail sector, this move intensifies competition with companies like Mercado Livre, Magazine Luiza, and Shopee, even though these companies have not yet established a similar scale of 15-minute grocery delivery system.

Amazon plans to gradually expand its service coverage and product range based on consumer demand.