A quick video comparison of Amazon Prime Pantry vs. Instacart shows why there is no way I am letting Amazon Pantry get inside my drawers.
One of my readers Linda S. recently asked me to break down Amazon Prime Pantry, so I thought what better way to highlight Amazon Prime Pantry than to compare it to one of its competitors – Instacart.
After more than a week of video shoots and editing, here is my quick video that breaks down my thoughts on the side-by-side comparison.
The results were surprising.
Quick Synopsis:
While generally I laud Amazon for nearly everything they do, the Pantry solution leaves much to be desired.
The Instacart experience is far superior.
While Instacart, in the end, is probably slightly more expensive due to the option to tip, tipping isn’t required, and so the overall cost difference between the two programs is negligible and far outweighed by other factors.
Most importantly, I was suprised by how poor the lead time (5 days) and how poor the actual delivery experience was with Amazon Prime Pantry.
I had to wait 5 days to get my package with Amazon, while, with Instacart, I was able to get my order within any delivery window I wanted, and as soon as two hours after placing my order.
Amazon’s shortcomings became even more palpable at delivery too. When my products arrived from Instacart, they came in nice shopping bags that made them easy to carry and to put away, and I was not left with unwanted trash.
Amazon Pantry was completely different: #1) I could barely lift the box because it was so heavy (and I am weak) #2) One of my products arrived damaged because it bumped around in the box during shipping #3) I had to dispose of the large cardboard box and an insane amount of bubble wrap that came with the delivery.
Overall, Amazon Prime Pantry is not the quality experience to which I am accustomed with Amazon. It seemed like a solution for Amazon (i.e. to defray shipping costs) rather than for the consumer.
The “all in one box” idea seems exactly that — thinking inside the box rather than outside the box to solve consumer problems.
Finally, I am taking bets on how long Amazon Prime Pantry sticks around. I wouldn’t be surprised if Seattle Jeff is even firing off emails right now to kill it.
I would be.
Be careful out there,
Chris
P.S. Thanks for sticking with me as I learn some new skills in the video editing arena. I am definitely an old dog learning new tricks. Your advice helps too (thanks Will Hsu)!
P.P.S. I wore the blue Adidas shirt again just for you Brian G!
Omni Talk is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga founded Omni Talk in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail. 