Amazon Pantry, which was founded in 2014 and up until recently known as Prime Pantry, was one of the company’s earliest efforts to boost sales of packaged food and beverages. But the service never really took off with shoppers, and by shutting it down, Amazon makes clear that it intends to focus on its core grocery platforms, including its main site, Whole Foods stores, Go Grocery brand and fast-growing Fresh concept.
Amazon Pantry offered shoppers the chance to bundle together products like cereal, paper towels and coffee for a flat fee. While the company, like many online sellers, sold grocery products primarily in bulk packaging to justify shipping costs, Pantry allowed shoppers to buy center store items in the same packaging they’d find at their local grocery store — a model that’s become increasingly less novel as grocers themselves have expanded online ordering.
Amazon converted Pantry into a subscription service in 2018 and made it available to non-Prime members. Under the new model, orders for both Prime and non-Prime members had a flat shipping fee, but Prime members could get unlimited free delivery on orders over $35.
Source: Retail Dive
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