Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is shutting down its standalone "Prime Now" app and directing customers who want fast delivery on groceries and other goods to order them through the Amazon app or website.
The Prime Now app and website will be retired worldwide by the end of this year, Amazon said in a blog post.
"To make this experience even more seamless for customers, we are moving the experience from a separate Prime Now app onto the Amazon app and website so customers can shop all Amazon has to offer from one convenient location," reads Amazon’s blog post.
Consumers will be able to choose two-hour delivery on essentials and other goods via the Amazon app or website. Two-hour grocery delivery will be available via Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods, both of which are located on Amazon’s app and website.
Amazon debuted Prime Now in 2014 as a way for members of its Prime subscription service to get books, toys, household essentials and other goods delivered to their doorstep in one or two hours for a small fee.
Prime Now initially launched in a handful of cities, but it’s now available in more than 5,000 cities and towns and two-hour delivery is free. Amazon had been operating dedicated Prime Now warehouses to fulfill orders.
Amazon’s ambitions in grocery delivery have deepened over the years. It has rolled out multiple services, acquired upscale supermarket chain Whole Foods for $13.4 billion in 2017 and last year launched its own chain of Fresh grocery stores.
