Posts: 798
Threads: 38
Joined: May 2005
I order things several times per week on Amazon with Prime and the free shipping. Usually takes at least a week before things even say they are preparing for shipping. Average is 12 days from order to arrival. A few years ago virtually everything ordered shipped the next day with Prime. Anytime something does not arrive within the state window, they have added a free month of Prime to my account when I've complained. Free shipping before Prime with the $25 minimum used to be far faster than it is now with Prime.
Posts: 7,724
Threads: 683
Joined: Jun 2011
Amazon has scaled back their services to Alaska and Hawaii. They changed their strategy from shipping quickly to only meeting the estimated delivery date. Amazon didn't make any money until 2015, and even then the third quarter they "only" made 73 million dollars but that was on 24.5 BILLION dollars in sales. That is a slim margin. I don't know what Q4 looked like but with it being the only quarter containing Christmas they probably did better. In addition to scaling back shipping times in Alaska and Hawaii they also moved entire categories of their business into "Does not ship to Alaska/Hawaii" category including their entire Prime Pantry line. They also increased their annual prime fee from $79 (or whatever) to $99 but at the same time they have been adding lots of original programming to their Prime streaming services. Their actual profits probably would have been higher if they weren't reinvesting in things like their own air and ocean freight companies. They also own huge data cloud distribution centers. At one point they were streaming most of Netflix's business, they still might be. Amazon also has a travel agency and I think last year you could start booking discounted hotel rooms, but only at independent hotels. Basically, they are expanding into everything. What's next, Amazon Airlines? Grab the pie in the sky when the fuel prices are low.
Posts: 1,557
Threads: 50
Joined: Oct 2012
quote:
What's next, Amazon Airlines? Grab the pie in the sky when the fuel prices are low.
Funny you should say that... Because yes they are...(cargo anyway..)
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3769986-...on-airline
Work..Consume...Obey - There's your meaning of life....