The ongoing battle between the three major retailers has me completely confused and befuddled. Let’s just look at the options by retailer:
Amazon
Prime - Guaranteed 2 day shipping comes with an annual or monthly subscription for the large marjoity of what they offer on the site.
Prime Pantry - An extra $4.99 per month for unlimited deliveries over $10, free for Prime members with orders over $35.
Prime Fresh - Strictly for groceries.
Subscribe & Save - Subscription on items delivered each month (or every few months) where savings increases with the more you add.
Add-On - Can only be added to orders over $25.
Prime Now (Amazon) - $4.99 per delivery in a few hours unless over $35.
Prime Now (Whole Foods) - $4.99 per delivery for Whole Foods items (some products overlap with Amazon catalog) unless over $35.
Target
Restock - Next day delivery for $2.99 unless over $35.
Shipt (just announced) - Same day delivery for $9.99.
Subscription - Delivered each month.
2-day Ship - Free over $35.
Pick-Up In Store - No fee.
Drive Up - No fee.
Google Express - Free over $15.
Walmart
2-day Ship - Free over $35.
Pick-Up In Store - No fee.
Drive Up - No Fee.
Unlimited Grocery Delivery - New subscription service for $99 annual fee.
I likely missed several options but is anyone confused yet? Amazon is the most confusing and the Whole Foods acquisition surely hasn’t helped. Although the array of options likely hasn’t slowed the transition to ecommerce and led to more consumer options, the experience of selecting which and understanding your options is incredibly cumbersome.