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Amazon is rolling out a service where its Prime members can now order their blueberries and milk at the same time as basic items like batteries and T-shirtsand get them within hours. The online juggernaut said Wednesday that customers in more than 1,000 cities and townsincluding Raleigh, North Carolina; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Columbus, Ohionow have access to fresh groceries with its free same-day delivery service on orders over $25 for Prime members, with plans to reach over 2,300 cities and towns by the end of the year. Amazon called the move one of the most significant grocery expansions for the online retailer as it introduces thousands of perishable items into its existing logistics network. The expansion is expected to put more pressure on grocery delivery services offered by such rivals as Walmart, Kroger, and Target, which all saw their shares take a hit in early trading on Wednesday. Amazon’s shares rose 1%. Amazon said that if an order doesnt meet the minimum, members can still choose same-day delivery for a $2.99 fee. For customers without a Prime membership, the service is available with a $12.99 fee, regardless of order size. In the past, Prime subscribers grocery orders were fulfilled through Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods Market. Prime members pay $14.99 monthly or $139 annually. Amazon launched its Prime membership in 2005, and it has become the gold standard for subscription services, with a slew of perks including unlimited streaming with Prime Video and discounts at Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. Walmart, which launched its membership program called Walmart+ in 2020, has been racing to add more benefits. It costs $12.95 per month or $98 per year. Depending on members’ location and availability, Walmart members can schedule same-day delivery for their groceries, including perishables. Were continuously innovating to make grocery shopping simpler, faster, and more affordable for our customers, especially Prime members, said Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, in a statement. By introducing fresh groceries into our Same-Day Delivery service, were creating a quick and easy experience for customers. Herrington noted that customers can order milk alongside electronics; oranges, apples, and potatoes with a mystery novel; and frozen pizza at the same time as tools for their next home improvement projectand check out with one cart and have everything delivered to their doorstep within hours. The company first tested the service in Phoenix last year, and then added Orlando, Florida, and Kansas City, Missouri, earlier this year. Amazon noted that many of its customers were first-time Amazon grocery shoppers who now return to shop twice as often with the same-day delivery service, compared with those who didn’t purchase food. It also noted that based on early sales, strawberries now regularly knock AirPods out of the top five bestsellers of all products sold, while bananas, Honeycrisp apples, limes, and avocados round out the top 10 best-selling perishable grocery items in shoppers’ same-day delivery carts. Amazon said it generated over $100 billion in gross sales of groceries and household essentials last year, not including sales from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh. In June, Amazon said it was investing more than $4 billion to triple the size of its delivery network by 2026, with a focus on small towns and rural communities across the country. It also noted that it’s using artificial intelligence to help it predict local customer preferences so that it can stock popular items alongside items targeted for specific communities. By Anne D’Innocenzio, AP retail writer
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E-Commerce
Russian authorities announced Wednesday they were partially restricting calls in messaging apps Telegram and WhatsApp, the latest step in an effort to tighten control over the internet. In a statement, government media and internet regulator Roskomnadzor justified the measure as necessary for fighting crime, saying that according to law enforcement agencies and numerous appeals from citizens, foreign messengers Telegram and WhatsApp have become the main voice services used to deceive and extort money, and to involve Russian citizens in sabotage and terrorist activities. The regulator also alleged that repeated requests to take countermeasures have been ignored by the owners of the messengers. There was no immediate comment from either platform. Russian authorities have long engaged in a deliberate and multipronged effort to rein in the internet. Over the years, they have adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that wont comply. Technology has been perfected to monitor and manipulate online traffic. While its still possible to circumvent restrictions by using virtual private network services, those are routinely blocked, too. Authorities further restricted internet access this summer with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections. Officials have insisted the measure was needed to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts argued it was another step to tighten internet control. Russia’s Digital Development and Communications Ministry said this month that, along with internet providers, it was working on a white list of essential websites and services users could access during shutdowns. In Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russian-installed officials said Wednesday that shutdowns of cellphone internet may last indefinitely. The government adopted a law last month punishing users for searching for content they deem illicit and threatened to go after WhatsAppone of the most popular platforms in the countrywhile rolling out a new national messaging app thats widely expected to be heavily monitored. Reports that calls were being disrupted in WhatsApp and Telegram appeared in Russian media earlier this week, with users complaining about calls not going through or not being able to hear each other speak. According to Russian media monitoring service Mediascope, WhatsApp in July was the most popular platform in Russia, with over 96 million monthly users. Telegram, with more than 89 million users, came in a close second. Both platforms have had their run-ins with the Russian authorities in the past. The Kremlin tried to block Telegram between 2018 and 2020 but failed. After Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the government blocked major social media outlets like Facebook and Instagram, and outlawed their parent company, Meta, which also owns WhatsApp, labeling them as extremist. In July, lawmaker Anton Gorelkin said WhatsApp should prepare to leave the Russian market and that a new national messenger, MAX, developed by Russian social media company VK, would take its place. MAX, promoted as a one-stop shop for messaging, online government services, making payments, and more, was rolled out for beta tests but has yet to attract a wide following. Over 2 million people registered by July, the Tass news agency reported. Its terms and conditions say it will share user data with authorities upon request, and a new law stipulates its pre-installation in all smartphones sold in Russia. State institutions, officials, and businesses are actively encouraged to move communications and blogs to MAX. The Digital Development and Communications Ministry said access to calls via WhatsApp and Telegram may be reinstated if the platforms comply with Russian legislation. It clarified that the partial restrictions, announced by Roskomnadzor, applied only to audio calls. By Dasha Litvinova, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
New York’s iconic Eleven Madison Park, the worlds only three-Michelin-starred vegan restaurant, announced on Wednesday that it is putting meat back on the menu after achieving what most thought was impossiblesnagging the first and only coveted three-star Michelin rating for its entirely plant-based haute cuisine in 2022. (That’s something not even the food-loving countries of France and Spain have been able to achieve.) The restaurant, which originally opened in 1998 by famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, was purchased by chef Daniel Humm and his business partner Will Guidara in 2011. It first earned three Michelin stars in 2012 with a meat-based menu, and retained its Michelin rating in 2022 after it went fully plant-based. “Over the last five years . . . weve also been intently listening to our guests’ feedback. It became clear that while we had built something meaningful, we had also unintentionally kept people out,” Humm said in a statement on the restaurant’s website. “This is the opposite of what we believe hospitality to be. The all-or-nothing approach was necessary to develop our expertise, but that, too, comes with its own limitations. As a chef, I want to continue to open paths, not close them.” Fast Company has reached out to Eleven Madison Park for further comment. Starting October 14, Humm said Eleven Madison Park will integrate “our new language into a menu that embraces choice,” still offering the fully plant-based menu but also adding certain animal product dishes, including “fish, meat, and yes, our honey-lavender-glazed duck.” Humm told The New York Times the decision was motivated by both financial and hospitality concerns. Many people have criticized the move to bring back meat, saying a full vegan menu is widely accessible and doesn’t exclude others. On the restaurant’s Facebook page, more than 350 people have commented, many registering their dismay. Those comments range from you can still reverse this decision to “everyone can eat vegan food.” Added one disappointed patron: “Gross. Just like your morel butter. Now, vegans will not feel welcome at the table. Plenty of other fabulous restaurants in NYC, though. Let’s all support those.” However, the plant-based menu will continue to be at the foundation of the fine dining restaurant, with plant-based options available for every course, according to its website. The tasting menus will be the same price regardless of one’s selection. (The full tasting menu, with eight to nine courses, runs $365 per person.) Both the cocktail menu and the pastry program will remain entirely plant-based.
Category:
E-Commerce
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