Amazon has expanded its ultra-fast Amazon Now delivery service to Manchester, marking its first launch outside London.
Customers in selected postcodes across central and east Manchester can now order thousands of groceries and household essentials for delivery in around 30 minutes or less.
Available seven days a week through Amazon’s app and website, the service covers 35 product categories, including milk, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, medicines, nappies, toiletries and pet products.
The range also features products from brands with links to the North West, including Kellogg’s, Warburtons and PG Tips.
Amazon Now uses micro-fulfilment centres located close to residential and inner-city areas to shorten the distance between products and customers. Its first Manchester site is in the east of the city, with additional locations in Salford and Stockport expected to follow.
Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey said: “Amazon Now brings a new level of speed and convenience to customers, delivering thousands of groceries and household essentials in less than 30 minutes.
“It’s the latest example of our commitment to faster delivery, building on the millions of items we already deliver the same or next day to customers across the UK.”
Prime members will pay delivery fees starting from £1.99, compared with £3.99 for customers without a membership.
Amazon is offering Prime members free delivery on Amazon Now baskets worth more than £20, while a £2 small-order charge will apply to all orders below £15, regardless of membership status.
The Manchester rollout follows the launch of Amazon Now in London earlier this year, where the service operates through a network of sites including Southwark, Bethnal Green, Battersea, Lewisham, Hampstead, Notting Hill, Haringey, Walthamstow and Wembley.
Amazon had previously announced plans to take the service to Manchester and Birmingham as it steps up its push into the UK’s rapid-grocery market.
The expansion comes as the online giant continues to invest in speeding up its fulfilment operations by holding more frequently purchased products closer to customers.
It also forms part of Amazon’s wider £40bn UK investment programme running from 2025 to 2027. The plans include four new fulfilment centres, additional delivery stations and upgrades to its network of more than 100 operational buildings across the country.
Amazon said further updates on the rollout of Amazon Now would be announced in the coming months.
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