Amazon sparks fury by removing a popular Prime perk: 'Cancelling'

Amazon is group to discontinue 1 of its astir celebrated Prime perks early adjacent year.

The service, Amazon Today, provides same-day transportation for items from prime section stores successful customers' neighborhoods.

It differs from nan halfway Prime transportation service, which is for items sold by Amazon from its immense web of warehouses crossed nan US. 

Depending connected nan point and area, Prime transportation options could see two-day, same-day, aliases moreover one-hour delivery.

Stores - wither independents conscionable successful 1 municipality aliases chains pinch aggregate locations - could motion up to Today. Popular partners see Office Depot, Staples, Petco, PacSun, GNC, Diesel, and SuperDry.

In summation to location delivery, Amazon Today lets customers bid items for pickup straight from stores. 

Prime members enjoyed nan work for free connected orders complete $25, but for smaller purchases, a $2.99 interest was applied. 

Today, launched successful 2024, will unopen down for astir unit partners by December 2 and tally done January 24 for a prime few.

A spokesperson for Amazon said nan work is facing nan chop because of 'overlap' pinch its different transportation services. 

'This will streamline our offerings for customers, and nan mostly of action our customers bargain from Amazon Today will proceed to beryllium disposable for same- and one-day delivery,' nan spokesperson told The Street. 

However, cutting nan work will besides person immense ramifications for labor who will either suffer their jobs aliases beryllium moved internally to different positions wrong nan company.

Customers were mostly irritated that Today is being trim - pinch immoderate saying they would cancel Prime, which costs $14.99 a period aliases $139 a year. 

'They don't moreover look to beryllium trying anymore,' different said of Prime connected Reddit. 

'It seems nan Prime that I salary for is not getting maine immoderate value,' a 3rd agreed. 

But 1 joked it was a bully move for them, writing:  'Annoying but I’ll astir apt extremity up pinch less spontaneous purchases truthful astir apt a bully point successful nan agelong run.'

It comes conscionable weeks aft nan institution boasted astir its grounds transportation speeds.

'So acold this year, our velocity of transportation for Prime customers has been faster than ever before, pinch much than 5 cardinal units arriving nan aforesaid time aliases adjacent day,' CEO Andy Jassy said during a caller net call. 

'With much optimal inbound inventory placement, we expect to alteration faster speeds, consolidate much orders successful 1 box, and trim inventory transfers erstwhile items scope a fulfillment center,' Jassy told investors. 

The removal of nan perk besides comes aft Amazon confused its loyal shoppers pinch an unannounced change to its shopping app logo. 

The good known cardboard colored container logo pinch a achromatic arrow has seen a subtle alteration successful nan latest update for nan app. 

The small square, symbolizing nan portion that seals Amazon packages, has changed from its well-known ray bluish to stripes of acheronian and ray green. 

Meanwhile,  as supplier stores crossed nan US are struggling, Amazon has plans for 20 caller pharmacies adjacent year. 

It contrasts pinch Walgreens, which said earlier this period that it would shut 1,200 stores complete nan adjacent 3 years.