Amazon may be looking to make a significant dive into the grocery business, as the company is looking to expand its small grocery program AmazonFresh to other cities in the upcoming months.
In fact, the first expansion could be as early as this week. Reuters reports that AmazonFresh may be coming to Los Angeles this weeks and San Francisco later in 2013.
Currently, AmazonFresh is a Seattle-only service that provides grocery delivery (produce, meat, alcohol, etc.) to over 80 different zip codes in the area.
Here’s how Amazon describes their small AmazonFresh program:
“We are a home grocery delivery service offering a full selection of fresh groceries, including produce, dairy, meat and seafood – even alcohol. We also carry products from iconic local merchants and farmers. We provide fast, convenient delivery straight to your home in as little as four hours of placing your order and FREE delivery on qualifying orders. We also offer best-selling Amazon.com items to add right to your grocery order.”
According to Reuters’ anonymous sources, Amazon will use the two non-Seattle expansions as a gauge for a larger rollout next year. Apparently, Amazon is eyeing the launch of AmazonFresh in 20 other urban areas in 2014 – some even outside the U.S. The grocery business is a tricky one – but there’s money to be made and Amazon knows that. They’ve sure had plenty of time to test the program in Seattle – it first launched way back in 2007.