Not surprising, they lose money for shipping. With the competition going down, they might feel it is a good time for price bump.
Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
11–20 of 241 posts
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#12"Profit was held back by a big jump in fulfillment costs, which increased 32.8% year-over-year in the fourth quarter and nearly 25% for the full year. Amazon spent $4.55 billion in the fourth quarter to fulfill customers’ orders, up from $3.4 billion in the same quarter a year ago, and the increase cannot be explained away by increases in Amazon sales, as the percentage of revenues spent on shipping also increased, f…
> The average cost to handle a parcel was about $8 last year.
Thats still Amazing low cost considering what has to be done to deliver a parcel. Though I'm more surprised Amazon hasn't set up an Argos style business in high density cities.
For those that dont know Argos it's in the UK and its basically a collection shopfront with catalogues infromt of the counter. You browse the catalogue, write down the numbers and staff go out the back and bring you what you asked for. They have a huge range and while strange at first shopping in person from a book catalogue it works amazingly well for a bunch of shopping needs. It would merge perfectly with a Amazon like business.
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#13They are really trying to force you into signing up for prime, aren't they? I cancelled my prime subscription at the start of the year. Some thoughts: - I buy less stuff on impulse. Since the price limit is (or was) $35 for free shipping, I usually have to wait until there are enough things I really want/need before ordering. - The pricing is often better other places. Normally Amazon's non prime price will be compar…
> I buy less stuff on impulse.
I've always got a couple of running "projects" and it's really nice to have Prime if I find out I need to buy a 20 Mhz oscillator, or a magneto cover gasket, or a pink buggy whip mid-stream.
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#14"Profit was held back by a big jump in fulfillment costs, which increased 32.8% year-over-year in the fourth quarter and nearly 25% for the full year. Amazon spent $4.55 billion in the fourth quarter to fulfill customers’ orders, up from $3.4 billion in the same quarter a year ago, and the increase cannot be explained away by increases in Amazon sales, as the percentage of revenues spent on shipping also increased, f…
> The average cost to handle a parcel was about $8 last year. Thats still Amazing low cost considering what has to be done to deliver a parcel. Though I'm more surprised Amazon hasn't set up an Argos style business in high density cities. For those that dont know Argos it's in the UK and its basically a collection shopfront with catalogues infromt of the counter. You browse the catalogue, write down the numbers and s…
Perhaps this is the kind of thing they're going for with for instance, their brick and mortar book stores?
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#15Seems like Prime shipping is still free on orders of any size, with a $35 requirement for free same-day shipping when applicable. I'd be curious how many Amazon customers actually don't use Prime and will thus actually be impacted by this—seems like pretty much everyone I know has a subscription.
I for one have never bothered with "Prime." It's not that hard to combine Amazon orders until they cross the "free" shipping threshold.
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#16"Profit was held back by a big jump in fulfillment costs, which increased 32.8% year-over-year in the fourth quarter and nearly 25% for the full year. Amazon spent $4.55 billion in the fourth quarter to fulfill customers’ orders, up from $3.4 billion in the same quarter a year ago, and the increase cannot be explained away by increases in Amazon sales, as the percentage of revenues spent on shipping also increased, f…
> The average cost to handle a parcel was about $8 last year. Thats still Amazing low cost considering what has to be done to deliver a parcel. Though I'm more surprised Amazon hasn't set up an Argos style business in high density cities. For those that dont know Argos it's in the UK and its basically a collection shopfront with catalogues infromt of the counter. You browse the catalogue, write down the numbers and s…
Argos sounds cool, but yes, it seems like it'd only work in high density areas, where, surprise, it's easy to just go and buy such things in person. Amazon was a godsend for me when I went to college in rural TN, so an Argos like model wouldn't have helped there. I basically, yes, took advantage of their cheap shipping in that case, although I did have prime.
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#17It seems that Jet.com (Ana Amazon-like competitor, I haven't used them yet, so don't know the experience) has a $35 threshold for 2 to 5 day free-shipping.
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#18They are really trying to force you into signing up for prime, aren't they? I cancelled my prime subscription at the start of the year. Some thoughts: - I buy less stuff on impulse. Since the price limit is (or was) $35 for free shipping, I usually have to wait until there are enough things I really want/need before ordering. - The pricing is often better other places. Normally Amazon's non prime price will be compar…
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Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#19This is just assuming that they'll even let you order $49 worth of items in one box. I let my Amazon Prime lapse because I was rarely using it. A few weeks ago I decided to do a bulk order. I ordered 18 items with a total of $110. They split my shipment into three packages of approximately $50, $50, and one item by itself in another box for $10. Since one of the boxes didn't have $35, they tried to charge me shipping…
I believe if you buy Amazon items then, even if they split the shipment, they won't charge you. The above sounds like you were buying from different merchants.
Re: Amazon Free Shipping minimum is now $49
#20Hmm. Being a Prime subscriber, I had no idea you could even get free shipping without Prime.
Yeah back in the day it was $25 for free shipping, then they bumped to $35, now $49. The free shipping is not the same speed as prime. Prime gives you 2 days. Free shipping is just that..free regular ground shipping which could take a few days to get to you.