Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#61

Post by tingletech » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:20 AM UTC

nsandell123 wrote: post #57

> products, beverages, breakfast items and other household products in bulk for a $5 per month fee Is this separate from Amazon Prime? > Prime Pantry launched in 2014 and, similar to Amazon Fresh, Was Amazon Fresh the precursor to Prime Pantry? >In an email to Bloomberg, an Amazon spokesperson explained the company’s rationale for discontinuing Prime Pantry, Why is this author parroting a Bloomberg article? Hasn't bl…

add on to prime, fresh and panty seemed unrelated (dry goods vs fresh food), Bloomberg article has a paywall

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#62

Post by jrochkind1 » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:27 AM UTC

mjevans wrote: post #18

kube-system wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There were a lot of internet grocery stores that sold nonperishables in the days before Instacart. It was useful for people in rural locations that weren’t very mobile... and still is for the people who don’t live where fresh grocery delivery is available.

It might be better for society to help the orderly shutdown and consolidation of those areas towards communities dense enough to have a functional local economy. This would integrate well with new New Deal style programs where people are helped to migrate to jobs that enrich society and those working; and possibly recapture the former community areas as nature reserves or other non-housing lands.

Is on-demand courier delivery of groceries now a requirement for a "functional local economy"?

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#63

Post by jrochkind1 » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:28 AM UTC

rvn1045 wrote: post #19

This was just another experiment for Amazon. Shutting it down just means it didn't work out for whatever reason but they'll probably try a similar concept again with a few twists. There are so many 'businesses' under Amazon and many of them compete with each other. Often times this doesn't make sense to the end consumer but these are all just experiments being run to see what kinds of businesses might work.

Uh.. I think the similar concepts are Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods delivery.

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#64

Post by cameldrv » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:28 AM UTC

nsandell123 wrote: post #58

gumby wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better headline would have been "Amazon merges Prime Pantry > into regular .com site". Not exactly. The products for sale are still for sale on the site, yes. But the "pantry" product including a volume-based flat rate shipping. You entered products until you were told that your box was filled and then they shipped it to you flat rate. I used to fill it with kitty litter, dog food, cans of stuff and other heavy pro…

Why would someone with prime use prime pantry if it was free shipping anyway?

Prime pantry was cheaper, because you pay the shipping as part of the item price.

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#65

Post by Spooky23 » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:31 AM UTC

nsandell123 wrote: post #58

gumby wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better headline would have been "Amazon merges Prime Pantry > into regular .com site". Not exactly. The products for sale are still for sale on the site, yes. But the "pantry" product including a volume-based flat rate shipping. You entered products until you were told that your box was filled and then they shipped it to you flat rate. I used to fill it with kitty litter, dog food, cans of stuff and other heavy pro…

Why would someone with prime use prime pantry if it was free shipping anyway?

Pantry was actually sold by Amazon and met expected retail parameters. The coffee beans I used to buy through pantry would have a typical expiry date - 18-24 months out.

Once that product moved to normal Amazon, it transitioned to the standard jobbers and hucksters... you’d buy a can of coffee whose best by date was 30 days out.

I think this segment is really being replaced by Whole Foods, it is somewhat constrained by the more limited selection of Whole Foods vs normal grocery.

Also, I think Amazon is getting a run for its money with Target and to a lesser extent Walmart. The target drive-up service in particular is best in class. Every mom is hooked to it, and you see people waiting for drive up orders ordering more in the car.

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#66

Post by dragonwriter » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:37 AM UTC

shrimp_emoji wrote: post #26

stonogo wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon Prime Now is basically direct courier delivery from the closest warehouse to your house. the app only presented things that were readily available in your area.

Warehouse? I thought it was a Whole Foods only thing.

Prime Now was around before the WF acquisition.

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#67

Post by fooey » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:43 AM UTC

nsandell123 wrote: post #58

gumby wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better headline would have been "Amazon merges Prime Pantry > into regular .com site". Not exactly. The products for sale are still for sale on the site, yes. But the "pantry" product including a volume-based flat rate shipping. You entered products until you were told that your box was filled and then they shipped it to you flat rate. I used to fill it with kitty litter, dog food, cans of stuff and other heavy pro…

Why would someone with prime use prime pantry if it was free shipping anyway?

A lot of amazon products are considerably marked up to account for "free shipping," especially cheap items, but Pantry product were actual real retail pricing.

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#68

Post by zinckiwi » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:44 AM UTC

gumby wrote: post #44

BugsJustFindMe wrote: post #4

A better headline would have been "Amazon merges Prime Pantry into regular .com site". > "As part of our commitment to delivering the best possible customer experience, we have decided to transfer Amazon Pantry selection to the main Amazon.com store so customers can get everyday household products faster, without an extra subscription or purchase requirement"

A better headline would have been "Amazon merges Prime Pantry > into regular .com site". Not exactly. The products for sale are still for sale on the site, yes. But the "pantry" product including a volume-based flat rate shipping. You entered products until you were told that your box was filled and then they shipped it to you flat rate. I used to fill it with kitty litter, dog food, cans of stuff and other heavy pro…

> I used to fill it with kitty litter, dog food, cans of stuff and other heavy products.

And if your experience was anything like mine the few times I used it before I felt too guilty, the delivery folks looooved you for it. (To be fair, I did have a third floor walkup.)

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#69

Post by ronaldj » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 4:47 AM UTC

bootlooped wrote: post #8

I had said many times Amazon had too many ways to order groceries: 1. Amazon.com 2. Amazon Prime Pantry 3. Amazon Fresh 4. Whole Foods via Amazon Prime Now 5. Amazon items via Amazon Prime Now* *I never figured out what exactly this was. Was it just Amazon.com listing reproduced in the Prime Now app? Was it Amazon Fresh and/or Prime Pantry items? Was it some other set of items?

It's so confusing and easy to create another cart... I've had groceries end up in the normal Amazon cart, then below that Amazon Fresh cart, and below that Whole Foods Market cart.

Re: Amazon permanently shuts down Prime Pantry

#70

Post by ardy42 » Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 5:13 AM UTC

cloudwalking wrote: post #54

gumby wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A better headline would have been "Amazon merges Prime Pantry > into regular .com site". Not exactly. The products for sale are still for sale on the site, yes. But the "pantry" product including a volume-based flat rate shipping. You entered products until you were told that your box was filled and then they shipped it to you flat rate. I used to fill it with kitty litter, dog food, cans of stuff and other heavy pro…

FWIW I used to order kitty litter on Prime. Free shipping and all that. Turns out they hugely marked up the retail price for the free shipping. I’ve since found it on Walmart’s website for about 40% cheaper. Free shipping if I order 5 at a time.

> FWIW I used to order kitty litter on Prime. Free shipping and all that. Turns out they hugely marked up the retail price for the free shipping. I’ve since found it on Walmart’s website for about 40% cheaper. Free shipping if I order 5 at a time.

This is really common on Amazon, even for things that aren't heavy/large. Amazon used to be a place that gave you some of the best prices on things, but that hasn't been true for a long time.