Amazon have launched Amazon Pantry, a new nationwide service exclusive to Amazon Prime members, offering more than 4,000 low-priced everyday essentials in everyday sizes.
The aim is “To take the heavy lifting out of replenishing the often bulky basics and store cupboard essentials that people need every day,” according to Helene Parthenay, Amazon Pantry Manager at Amazon.co.uk. She says “We’re always looking to innovate on behalf of our customers and find ways to save them time and money. We think they will love the broad selection, quick delivery and low prices of Amazon Pantry“.
Customers can fill up as much or as little of an Amazon Pantry box as they wish for One-Day Delivery with a £2.99 fee for the first box and 99p for each additional box in the same order. Products available include food and drink, household supplies, baby and child care, pet, and health and beauty products from brands including Heinz, kellogg’s, Walkers, Uncle Ben’s, Tilda, Robinsons, Nescafé, Kronenbourg, Glenfiddich, Ariel, Persil, Andrex, Fairy, Huggies, Pampers, Johnson’s Baby, Pedigree, Purina, Whiska, Dove, Pantene, Gillette and Colgate.
Chris goes shopping
I really like the idea of Amazon Pantry, especially now that shops are trying to charge 5p for a carrier bag which I’m resolutely refusing to pay. However it is a pain trying to carry heavy bulky items and my stock of hessian carrier bags is limited so having bulky heavy goods delivered to home seems like a good deal.
I’ve just placed an order for 4 x six packs of Coke £2.90ea, 4 x boxes of 12 Whiskers cat food £2.50ea, 1 x 2kg of Whiskers dry cat food £3.50, 4 packs of Dreamies cat treats £1.00ea, 1 x 80 PG Tips tea bags £2.00, 1 x Pringles £1.00 and for good measure (and to see if Amazon can pack without crushing them) 2 x 6 packs of Walkers crisps £1.00ea.
That filled 99.6% of my Amazon Pantry box which should be delivered for a grand total of £37.09 including the £2.99 carriage cost for delivery on Wednesday.
What can you not get on Amazon Pantry?
While Amazon Pantry has a pretty broad range of heavy and bulky household goods, you may need to revise the favourite brands that you buy. The range is no where near as big as a supermarket and as an example they’ve a glaring omission in the alcohol department… you can’t buy Stella or Smirnoff on Amazon Pantry (Other brands are available).
Curated Lists
With Amazon Pantry, Amazon also offers curated lists to help customers find what they need for occasions and activities such as parties, a new baby, a weekend away, a night in and the morning routine. Customers can also fill and send Amazon Pantry boxes to family and friends.
Are the prices competitive?
One of the big advantages is the price savings with some products available exclusively to Amazon Pantry, for example a pack of Whiskas 7 Plus with Fish Selection in Jelly costs £8.07 on Amazon, but just £2.50 from Amazon Pantry. (As a comparison you could buy the same product from Tesco but it would cost £3.50 or two for £6.00 on a special offer).
Sign up for Amazon Prime for £59
Amazon Pantry is available to all members of Amazon Prime and if you sign up before the 18th of November there’s a special offer of a year’s Amazon Prime membership for £59 instead of the usual £79.
10 Responses
“Especially now that shops are trying to charge 5p for a carrier bag which I’m resolutely refusing to pay.”
Or “legally obliged to charge 5p”. But maybe I’m just being pedantic Chris.
I mean £2.99 for an Amazon delivery or actually going outside and experiencing civilisation for the cost of 5p. Such dilemma.
As a city dweller with 3 Aldi/Lidl stores within a 1.5 mile radius I can never understand the need for online food shopping and those players who operate in this area either loose money or work to very tight margins with tiny profits on huge turnover so I personally struggle to see the point for a business.
Maybe if I was a village dweller miles from nowhere I may have a different opinion but then the delivery cost for a business would definitely be loss making.
At a set price of £2.99 per box + 99p for additional boxes and assuming Amazon operate a universal service this is going to be a looser for Amazon as a high proportion of deliveries will be of the “out of town” type. The supermarkets have hubs all over the country but Amazon do not so supermarkets can deliver fresh food but Amazon cannot. Amazon only offer food with a longish shelf life (ie processed food) so this is going to feed the obesity crisis.
Amazon stockholders will be pulling their hair out yet again if they still have any hair to pull out!
Shops aren’t exactly ‘trying to charge 5p for carrier bags’, they’re being forced to do so by the government.
I just visited amazon pantry and can’t find any alcohol 🙁
If they offer flexible delivery slots then this would be very useful for working people. Having a “between 06:00 and 20:00” delivery slot will not be attractive for many people, especially as next day delivery is not guaranteed.
If they don’t the supermarkets will still will a large number of customers (in store, click & collect and delivery) especially as they can supply the full range of goods including fresh produce.
I’m struggling to understand why people would complain about paying 5p for a bag. I’m posh and pay 6p at Asda for Bags for Life and do this every week as I never remember to take them with me. Seriously, 30p to bag my weekly shop – I can live with that.
Amazon are very good at what they do, but come on – lets not keep feeding the monster. They can’t do everything, we need employment in our towns and cities.