We’ve all been there – you excitedly order an item online, only to be left waiting weeks to receive it.
But one British Amazon Prime customer barely had time to make a cup of tea before their order arrived last year.
The unnamed customer received their item just 75 minutes after ordering it, marking a new record for Amazon.
What’s more, 70 per cent of all Prime member orders made in the UK over the festive season arrived on the same or next day.
‘Our work on delivery speeds is a global, multi-year effort, and we know there’s massive runway for us to continue delivering ever faster for customers,’ said Doug Herrington, CEO Worldwide Amazon Stores.
We’ve all been there – you excitedly order an item online, only to be left waiting weeks to receive it. But one British Amazon Prime customer barely had time to make a cup of tea before their order arrived last year
In 2023, Amazon delivered items to Prime members at the fastest speeds ever globally.
More than seven billion units arrived the same or next day, including more than two billion in Europe.
Here in the UK, the fastest order was delivered within 75 minutes, although it remains unclear where this took place or what the item was.
‘Many years ago, I remember Jeff Bezos talking about the difference between a leader and a caretaker,’ Mr Herrington said.
‘Put simply, he said, a leader is going to keep pushing to make something better, instead of maintaining the status quo.
‘A leader is going to try new, innovative ideas, even though they’re challenging or time consuming or seem confusing at first.
The technology giant said the service would begin from one of its UK same-day delivery sites, but is keeping the location secret for now
‘This is very much how I think about what Amazon is doing right now with speed.’
The news comes shortly after Amazon announced that it will start delivering packages by drone in just under an hour around the UK this year.
The technology giant said the service would begin from one of its UK same-day delivery sites, but is keeping the location secret for now.
It is set to be revealed at the end of 2024.
The rollout is part of an expansion of drone deliveries, which will also see it be introduced in Italy and expanded to a third state in the US, with drone deliveries already operating in California and Texas.
Amazon previously ran a short trial of an earlier version of the Prime Air drone delivery system in Cambridgeshire in 2016.
‘As part of our continued efforts to innovate for customers, we are excited to announce the expansion of Prime Air delivery internationally, for the first time outside the US,’ the company said in a statement.
‘We have been delivering packages by drone for almost a year in California and in Texas.
‘We have built a safe, reliable delivery service and have partnered very closely with regulators and communities.
‘We will continue with that collaboration into the future to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and the communities we serve.’
