Amazon launches Prime Now in Singapore

Its service, which offers free two-hour delivery from its local warehouse with a minimum order of $40 between 10 am and 10 pm daily via the Prime Now app, will also be made exclusive for members. Members will enjoy a host of facilities, including access to video streaming and free gaming services such as Twitch Prime.

Membership is available for $8.99 per month.

The move to add Handmade goods to its list of items eligible for speedy Prime Now delivery should help artisans score a few more orders in the run up to Christmas, and give truly last-minute shoppers the chance to secure delivery right up until 11.59 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Amazon said in a release.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Ghani acknowledged that some living in the country already have Amazon Prime memberships for the United States site.

These services would be sought now that the American retailer has ended its Free AmazonGlobal Saver Shipping service to Singapore.

Amazon Prime International's vice-president Jamil Ghani said more benefits will be added over time for Prime membership here.

The launch of Amazon Prime comes just after the company ended its Free AmazonGlobal Saver Shipping option to Singapore on Monday, which enabled shoppers here to get free global shipping with a minimum order of US$125.

This launch will put pressure on Lazada, the e-commerce site owned by Alibaba, which is Amazon's primary competitor in Southeast Asia. "Customers in Singapore have been enjoying ultra-fast delivery with Prime Now since July, and now, the introduction of Amazon Prime will take their shopping experience to the next level", said Jamil Ghani, vice president, Amazon Prime global.

However, this does mean the previously free Prime Now service is gone, and users will have to subscribe to Prime if they even want to make a purchase locally, unlike local rivals Redmart and Honestbee, which do not require a subscription to order products such as diapers or groceries. The company says it will expand LiveUp beyond Singapore into other Southeast Asian markets soon, including Indonesia, which Amazon is also eyeing as a key growth market.

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