Amazon was late to the quick commerce party, but now it’s going all-in.
What is Amazon NOW?
Launched in Bengaluru in early 2025 as a pilot in 3 pin codes, Amazon Now is Amazon’s 10-30 minute delivery service. It started with groceries, daily essentials, personal care, beauty, baby, pet supplies, small appliances and electronics accessories.
The pitch: Same Amazon, but in minutes.
The Scale-Up: From 3 cities to 300 cities
This is where it gets crazy:
Phase 1 – April 2026: Amazon announced expansion to 100 cities including Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Meerut, Mysore, Kochi, Amritsar and more, backed by 1,000+ micro-fulfillment centers
Phase 2 – June 2026: During CEO Andy Jassy’s first India visit since 2021, Amazon doubled down – NOW to reach 300+ cities to build India’s largest “delivery in minutes” network. Jassy said Amazon will take it from 15 cities to 300+ cities.
Investment: Rs 2,800 crore to scale to 100 cities and 1,000 MFCs.
Why Amazon HAD to do it
Andy Jassy admitted Amazon lost ground to Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto and Flipkart Minutes. A rival founder told Moneycontrol: “E-commerce has to become quick commerce. Quick commerce is no longer adjacent to e-commerce – it is increasingly replacing parts of it”.
And it’s working: Amazon Now orders are growing 25% month-on-month and Prime members have tripled their shopping frequency after adopting Now.
Amazon’s Differentiator: Urban Fulfillment Centers
Everyone has dark stores. Amazon is adding a second layer:
100+ Urban Fulfillment Centers – larger than micro-fulfillment centers, to quadruple selection.
This will let Amazon deliver in minutes what others can’t:
Apparel, electronics, jewellery, shoes, luggage, watches, wireless products, musical instruments and furniture, in addition to groceries and essentials.
These are rolling out first in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and Mumbai ahead of Prime Day 2026, and will complement the 1,000 MFCs in 100 cities.
The Model
- Micro-Fulfillment Centers (MFCs): 300+ by end of 2025, opening at 2 per day
- Urban Fulfillment Centers (UFCs): 100+ for high-value, wider selection
- Direct farm sourcing: For fresh produce
What it means for sellers like you
For a brand like Wear Social, this is a new battlefield:
- Discovery is shifting from search to “need it NOW”
- Amazon will prioritize selection over price in quick commerce – good for fashion accessories, beauty, small electronics
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