They have warehouses all over the place. But that's just part of it. When you are the largest customer of the largest shipping company in the world, you are able to ensure that your stuff gets on the truck/train/plane. Answer from Teekno on reddit.com
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HowStuffWorks
money.howstuffworks.com › business › business operations
How Does Amazon Deliver Stuff So Fast? | HowStuffWorks
November 15, 2024 - According to Dai, e-commerce retailers also use another technique called cross-docking, originally pioneered by Walmart, for getting goods out of big trucks and directly into smaller vans for delivery. "The idea of cross-docking is to reduce the need for warehousing as much as possible," Dai says. "Basically, you have outgoing trucks that pick up from incoming trucks, without having to deal with shelving, and sorting and warehousing operations."
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Supply Chain Today
supplychaintoday.com › home › blogs › how amazon delivers packages so fast
How Amazon Delivers Packages So Fast -
October 27, 2023 - Amazon is also using robots to pack groceries in its Amazon Fresh fulfillment centers. These robots can pack a grocery order in less than two minutes, which is significantly faster than a human worker.
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They have warehouses all over the place. But that's just part of it. When you are the largest customer of the largest shipping company in the world, you are able to ensure that your stuff gets on the truck/train/plane.
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I work for a company that is automating UPS, FedEx and Amazon facilities, so I've asked this myself. The estimated number of packages shipped by Amazon makes up between 30-40% of the total shipments by the big 3 (UPS, FedEx and USPS). They do in fact get a hell of a discount for volume shipping, but that's only part of the story. What causes a package to take 3 or more days by the big three is method of transport (ground/air), distance from source to target, and cost/benefit. Here's the breakdown. Say you live in Cleveland and you want to send a package to Phoenix. If you send it UPS, it will go from the local dropoff to their hub in Louisville, KY, probably by ground. From there it will likely be sent via air to their hub in Ontario, CA (southern California, not Canada). Then it will be sent from there to the distribution center in Phoenix (likely by air), and then out for delivery. This whole process will take about 5 days. What makes Amazon able to trim time off of this is that their warehouses and distribution centers are located in the same cites as the hubs. For example, one of the main FedEx hubs is in Memphis, TN and the Amazon warehouse is a 10-minute drive from there. So the trip to get it on an airplane is almost negligable. Lastly there's a cost/benefit situation that might delay a package. So using my example above, let's say instead of sending the package to Phoenix, you're sending it to a remote location like Midland, TX. In this case the pakage would probably go from Louisville to Dallas and then trucked out west, that truck servicing perhaps a dozen west Texas cities. Unless that truck is 60%+ full, it will sit in the bay until it gets enough packages. Basically it's not worth it for the truck to leave empty. Here's where it's worth it to Amazon to offer the 2-day shipping. By creating a system that makes people in remote areas able to cheaply order items that they can't get locally, the trucks to remote areas are more likely to be full. The tl;dr version: when you order a pakage through amazon, it can be on a plane within a couple of hours, arrive at a nearby city that day, and be in your town the following day out for delivery; and because of their volume with the shipping companies their costs are minimal.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/amazon › non-prime users; how long does it usually take you to get an order with free shipping?
r/amazon on Reddit: non-Prime users; how long does it usually take you to get an order with free shipping?
April 5, 2013 -

i wasn't using Prime enough to pay $100 for a third year of it, so i haven't had it for a few months. until this week, i've only ordered a few things off amazon since then, and they were from 3rd party sellers.

on Monday afternoon I ordered $70 worth of stuff that was being sold by Amazon and not a 3rd party. i selected free shipping. it's now saturday and the status of my order is still 'Preparing for shipment', as it has been for the last 3 days. it's only 7 items, nothing big or hard to ship.

i feel like i'm being punished for not having Prime, and it's certainly not making me want to get Prime. for a company capable of delivering most anything in 2-3 days, it seems crazy for an order to go a week without being shipped.

how long do your non-prime free shipping orders usually take to get to you?

EDIT 10 Nov pm

it shipped!

a few hours under 1 week, and it's finally shipped.

well, it says it shipped. it doesn't even say with which carrier yet. "The carrier may not show a tracking scan until they receive it at a regional hub near the destination.".

if your 7 items came from multiple warehouses, instead of shipping you 3+ packages, they ship it to a central warehouse and ship you a single package.

my delivery hub for any carrier, the place from which trucks leave to come to my house later in the day, is ~150 miles down a single highway from one of the major amazon distro centers. i've very rarely had large orders come in more than one box, and then it was two. and i think that was only with some kind of exotic food stuffs or exceptionally large things.

estimated delivery: thursday, 10 days after the order.

i know not to expect fast shipping with free shipping, and if it had taken 5 days to get here after it shipped, i wouldn't have thought it strange at all. but 7 days between placing the order and it being handed off to the delivery co just seems excessive. it's far longer than with any other order with any other online company i've bought from, or with amazon's free shipping years ago before i had Prime.

i was just a few hours away from being annoyed enough to contact customer service. so... i wasn't too annoyed. but i'm not happy. i really thought amazon would have been capable of tossing stuff in a box faster than that, free shipping or not.

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Quora
quora.com › How-does-Amazon-manage-to-ship-items-so-quickly-Can-items-be-delivered-from-another-city-within-a-day-or-two
How does Amazon manage to ship items so quickly? Can items be delivered from another city within a day or two? - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Because they have built up their neighborhood presence. These are delivery stations where the vans load up. Most are within 30 miles of you. Timeline; approximate depending on your location to the FC.
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ABC News
abcnews.go.com › GMA › Food › amazon-debuts-amazon-now-new-ultra-fast-30 › story
Amazon debuts Amazon Now, a new 'ultra-fast' 30-minute delivery option - ABC News
1 week ago - $13.99 for non-Prime customers. A small basket fee of $1.99 will apply to orders below $15. ... The move comes as Amazon faces competition from rival companies offering similar services, like Uber Eats and Instacart. While the latter options go to surrounding shops to fulfill an order, Amazon pulls products from smaller facilities close to where Seattle-based and Philadelphia-based customers live and work. Amazon Now brings thousands of household essential items and groceries to customers’ doorsteps in about 30 minutes or less.
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Scripps News
scrippsnews.com › us-news › infrastructure › how-do-amazon-packages-get-delivered-so-quickly
How do Amazon packages get delivered so quickly? (VIDEO)
July 24, 2024 - When retailers like Amazon deliver on their fast-delivery promise — it’s good news for consumers. But it can compromise workplace safety. Workers have accused the retail giant of poor working conditions in its effort to speed up delivery times. Amazon says it prioritizes worker safety and has taken steps to invest in a safer workplace. It’s also aiming to automate more delivery including: rolling out drone deliveries in some markets.
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Colorado State University
source.colostate.edu › home › all posts › hey alexa, how does fast delivery actually work? better than you might think
How does Amazon fast delivery work? | Colorado State University
December 5, 2023 - As we’re heading into the 2023 holiday shopping season, a lot of that money is going to be spent online and a lot of that will be spent at sites like Amazon where you can often get your purchase at your door within 48 hours. I want to start by having you explain how a fast delivery works. How are we able to push a button and presto, there’s a delivery box at the door? It’s not magic, but it feels a little bit like magic. It’s not magic. It’s just sophisticated science, and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.
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Quora
quora.com › How-can-I-place-an-order-with-fast-delivery-without-Amazon-prime
How to place an order with fast delivery without Amazon prime - Quora
Answer (1 of 2): Hi there, You can place an order with fast delivery without having Amazon prime. Notice that fast delivery is applicable to selected products and locations, so you might not see it on every product/location. Choosing the fast delivery is very simple, you do not have to navigate...
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Spokepackagetracker
spokepackagetracker.com › home › blog › how to get next-day delivery on amazon (with and without prime)
How to Get Next-Day Delivery on Amazon (With and Without Prime)
November 3, 2025 - But without Prime, things can be a little more complicated as Amazon delivery costs depend on each seller, the quantity you need, and the delivery option. Plus, Amazon calculates delivery charges when you checkout based on the number of items and the type, weight, and volume of everything in your cart. So with millions of third-party sellers on the Amazon marketplace, each with differing shipping fees, calculating exactly how much shipping costs can be tricky.
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Elogii
elogii.com › home › blog › securing next-day delivery on amazon: with or without prime
Securing Next-Day Delivery on Amazon: With or Without Prime
December 6, 2024 - Here are some tips to lower your shipping expenses when ordering on Amazon without Prime. You might be eligible for complimentary next-day delivery on Amazon by exceeding the "minimum threshold" of items.
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RebateKey
rebatekey.com › home › how does amazon ship so fast? – their process, operations, and inside news
How does Amazon Ship so Fast? - Their Process, Operations, and Inside News
September 23, 2025 - That being said, non-Prime customers will have to pay an additional fee to have the items delivered on the same day. Another thing that customers are amazed by is the fact that not only is Amazon’s shipping fast but it’s also incredibly cheap.
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CNBC
cnbc.com › 2023 › 12 › 06 › amazon-ceo-explains-how-company-carries-out-same-day-delivery.html
Amazon CEO explains how company carries out same-day delivery
December 7, 2023 - He added that the company also uses "sub same-day facilities" to ship items faster, saying many fulfillment centers have "about a million" SKUs — or stock keeping units, product identifiers used by retailers — ready to be shipped out same-day.
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Ulta
accio.com › blog › how-late-does-amazon-deliver-understanding-amazons-delivery-schedule
Master Amazon Delivery Times: What You Need to Know
During peak seasons like Christmas and Black Friday, deliveries may take longer due to high order volumes. Several elements can impact how quickly your package arrives: Your location plays a significant role in determining delivery speed.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/amazonprime › shipping times for non-prime members are hilariously bad for an online merchant.
r/amazonprime on Reddit: Shipping times for non-Prime members are hilariously bad for an online merchant.
July 28, 2024 -

I don’t have Prime because my purchasing volume would never justify the annual fee. When I do make an order through regular, non-Prime fulfillment, I always get a little chuckle at just how tardy the deliveries tend to be. Placed an order on July 12th. Shipped today, should be at my house sometime this week. Honestly probably one of the slowest fulfillments of any online merchant, not that I needed any of what I ordered imminently, it’s just funny how they are the only online merchant that needs me to pay an annual fee if I want something semi-timely.

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Flavorious
flavorious.com › how-much-is-amazon-delivery-without-prime
Understanding Amazon Delivery Costs Without Prime: A Comprehensive Guide - Flavorious
September 25, 2025 - Additionally, Amazon’s shipping benefits can sometimes be obtained through other means, such as with the purchase of certain items or through promotions, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for these opportunities. In conclusion, while Amazon Prime offers unparalleled benefits in terms of fast and free shipping, non-Prime members still have access to a range of delivery options at competitive costs.
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GoFBA Hub
gofbahub.com › home › how late does amazon deliver? (prime vs non-prime)
How Late Does Amazon Deliver? (Prime vs Non-Prime)
September 5, 2025 - As you can see, Amazon Prime members enjoy a significantly more flexible and expedited delivery experience compared to non-Prime customers. If you are a frequent Amazon shopper, the benefits of Prime membership may be worth considering to ensure faster and more reliable deliveries.
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Quora
quora.com › How-does-Amazon-Prime-ship-so-quickly
How does Amazon Prime ship so quickly? - Quora
Answer (1 of 11): There are several metrics we track: Delivery Estimate Accuracy (DEA), ExSD (Expected Ship Date), Promised Ship Date, Actual Ship Date, Promised Ship Time, Actual Ship Time, Promised (and Actual) Delivery Date, Promised (and Actual) Delivery Time, First Scan Date and Time (by the...
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Ulta
accio.com › blog › how-long-does-amazon-take-to-ship
How Long Does Amazon Take to Ship? A Complete Guide to Delivery Times 2025
For those times when you need something quick, Amazon offers priority options you can choose at checkout. These include expedited shipping and priority or one-day and two-day delivery in certain regions.