Amazon carts out Sprouts delivery deal

Prime members in Atlanta area can get 1- and 2-hour deliveries.

Fresh off its announced acquisition of Whole Foods Market, Amazon said Wednesday it is offering one- and two-hour delivery of products from Sprouts Farmers Market to Prime members in the Atlanta area.

The partnership with Sprouts under Amazon’s Prime Now service comes as the e-commerce giant pushes deeper into its plans to offer same-day delivery of more products, including fresh foods. Amazon has offered Prime Now service in Atlanta since 2015.

Prime Now already offers fresh foods, including milk and eggs, and products such as toys and electronics to Prime members.

Amazon said Sprouts’ goods, including meats, produce and seafood, will be available for same-day delivery from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

One-hour Prime Now delivery will cost $7.99, while two-hour delivery will be at no additional cost through the Prime Now app. Customers can check availability by entering a ZIP code into the app or Prime Now website.

Analysts said Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods signaled its need for physical stores to make it in the grocery business, and observers say they expect Amazon will expand the Whole Foods chain and possibly look at other acquisitions.

Experts expect the move to shake up the hyper-competitive grocery business and prod rivals to beef up “click and collect” programs that let customers select and buy items online, then swing by the store to pick them up.

Kroger, for instance, has pushed its ClickList service, which offers online ordering and at-the-door pickup. Publix is among several grocery chains that have partnerships with Instacart, an independent home delivery service.