Holiday Shopping Procrastinator? Here's One Solution
DENVER (CBS4) - Before procrastinators panic about not having holiday gifts in time for Christmas, they should consider Amazon 'Prime Now,' say company representatives.
Amazon offered a first look Thursday inside its new Prime Now hub near Interstate 25 and 58th Avenue, which opened in July. Now in peak season, December marks the Denver facility's first holiday rush.
The online merchandise company is touting free two-hour delivery through Prime Now for Amazon Prime members on any purchase totaling $35 or more.
As CBS4's Melissa Garcia has learned, however, the two-hour time frame does not mean that items will arrive within two hours of purchase, but rather, within the first available two-hour delivery window.
For example, an order placed on Prime Now shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday had a first available delivery window of 6-8 p.m. In that case, Amazon promises delivery by 8 p.m. at the latest.
"Procrastinators, rejoice. We've got you covered," said Lynsey Kehrli, an Amazon spokesperson.
The Prime Now center, filled with dozens of aisles, had massive sets of shelves packed with tens of thousands of the season's most in-demand items.
"Gifts, toys, all sorts of different things," Kehrli said. "(If) you ran out of dog food, you can order things like that on Prime Now, and it will all be delivered to your door."
Employees were quickly making the rounds through the aisles, bagging orders with the most efficient technology and labeling sacks for personal delivery.
Amazon Prime's $99 per year membership automatically includes Prime Now, which Kehrli said many customers may not have been aware of.
Customers who want to take advantage of the same-day two-hour delivery service have the option of ordering either through the Prime Now app or online at primenow.com.
Flex drivers who work for Amazon's Prime Now choose the hours and schedules that they want to work to provide porch deliveries.
Kehrli said the free service saves customers time and hassle, especially during the holiday season.
"No fighting traffic, no looking for parking," she said. "Stay home in your jammies, enjoy your time with your family."
Amazon Prime members can order from Prime Now as late as 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve for guaranteed delivery by midnight.
Melissa Garcia has been reporting for CBS4 News since March 2014. Find her bio here, follow her on Twitter @MelissaGarciaTV, or send your story idea to mkgarcia@cbs.com.