Amazon has raised its threshold for universal free delivery to £20 with immediate effect.
Customers who spend at least £10 on books qualify for free delivery, but they must spend at least £20 to benefit from free delivery on other items.
The new limit is double the previous limit of a £10 spend on any type of product and places in question the future of free delivery.
On its delivery page, Amazon points out that members of its Amazon Prime subscription service qualify for free one-day delivery. But other customers must now spend more before they qualify for supersaver delivery, still advertised as ‘free’.
The move comes less than two years since Amazon moved from away from its previous offer of free super saver delivery on all orders. In July 2013, it introduced free delivery for those spending £10 or more on any goods. At the time, orders containing entertainment products such as books, DVDs or video games continued to be delivered for free.
Our view: This move may seem a small change, but it’s a highly significant one. For years, UK ecommerce retailers felt the pressure to stay in line with Amazon’s delivery offer and with its prices. Now there is no doubt that small deliveries from Amazon will come at a cost, and that gives others more room to manoeuvre. We can only speculate as to whether the move is linked to the upcoming introduction of a UK tax for multinationals who divert their profits, or to other tax-related issues (PAYWALL).
