Amazon Ramps Up Fulfillment at 1st Mass. Same-Day Facility

Amazon opened its first same-day fulfillment center in Massachusetts, it announced Friday, saying the 155,000-square-foot Bridgewater facility delivered its first package in January before ramping to about 3 million items in over a dozen categories, including electronics. The “Sub Same-Day” buildings are mini-fulfillment centers, optimized to deliver “hundreds of thousands of items” three to five hours from purchase. Eligible items marked “Today by” and “Overnight by” can now be ordered for delivery throughout the day; customers can also choose a delivery window to meet their schedule. Amazon offers the service in over a dozen cities. The service is free for Prime members with a $35 or higher order; a $2.99 charge is applied for orders under $35, and non-Prime members are charged a $12.99 fee, said an Amazon webpage. Its much-hyped one-day service rollout was disrupted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when strong e-commerce demand led to longer lead times (see 2007310023).