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Amazon.com Inc. is raising the ante in Canada’s e-commerce battle by offering same-day shipping in Toronto and Vancouver just as retailers head into the crucial holiday shopping season.
Toronto, the biggest metropolitan area in Canada, is an obvious pick for the Seattle-based ecommerce giant.
But selecting Vancouver as the only other city to receive the service came down to a matter of practicality, according to Amazon.ca country manager Alexander Gagnon.
“From a size standpoint, Vancouver is very important and it’s also a reflection of how our fulfillment network is organized,” he said.
The company opened its first B.C.-based fulfillment centre in Delta is the fall of 2012.
The centre’s location within the Lower Mainland means customers can expect items to arrive by 9 p.m. as long as they order before noon.
Although the service is launching just as retailers prepare for the holiday shopping season, Gagnon said same-delivery isn’t a one-off endeavour.
“This is going to be a permanent program. We think there is a need for this all year long,” he said.
Although Amazon.ca offers about 15 million products to consumers through its website, there are fewer items available that can be delivered on the same day.
“For Vancouver we have hundreds of thousands of items that will be eligible,” Gagnon said.
Amazon plans to expand the program to major cities throughout the rest of Canada but there is not a timeline in place for when that will come to fruition.
Same-day delivery will cost regular users $12 a shipment plus an additional $2 per item. Amazon Prime members pay a flat rate $7.
Agencies/Canadajournal
