Amazon is expanding one-hour and three-hour delivery options across the U.S., a move that is increasing pressure on distributors as expectations for rapid fulfillment rise among business buyers.
The company said one-hour delivery is now available in hundreds of U.S. cities and towns, while three-hour delivery has expanded to more than 2,000 locations. The service includes more than 90,000 products, including cleaning supplies, office products, health and personal care items, over-the-counter medications, electronics, and home goods—categories that overlap with core B2B distribution segments such as maintenance, repair and operations, janitorial supplies, and workplace essentials.
Customers can access the fast delivery options through Amazon’s existing same-day shopping experience, where items eligible for one-hour or three-hour delivery are labeled accordingly and can be filtered in search results. The service operates seven days a week, and Amazon said it plans to expand availability to additional markets.
Prime members pay $9.99 for one-hour delivery and $4.99 for three-hour delivery, while non-members pay $19.99 and $14.99, respectively. Same-day delivery remains free for Prime members on qualifying orders.
Amazon said the faster delivery speeds are enabled by enhancements to its same-day delivery network, including dedicated same-day delivery sites and AI-driven inventory placement designed to position high-demand products closer to customers. Since launching same-day delivery in 2015, Amazon has expanded the service to more than 9,000 U.S. cities and towns.
“Our customers are busier than ever and are looking for new ways to save time,” Udit Madan, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, said. “We’re still innovating to make delivery even faster while maintaining the same everyday low prices and vast selection.”
Although the service is aimed at consumers, distributors say the implications for B2B purchasing are immediate.
The expansion targets high-frequency, low-complexity products that account for a significant share of distributor volume. For many business customers, including contractors and facilities managers, the ability to replenish essential items within hours is reshaping expectations for service levels and delivery performance.
That shift is prompting distributors to reassess fulfillment strategies. Many are increasing local inventory positions, investing in branch-based fulfillment, and testing micro-fulfillment models to reduce delivery times. Others are expanding the use of third-party logistics providers to improve last-mile performance.
At the same time, faster delivery introduces cost pressures. Sub-same-day fulfillment requires higher labor intensity, tighter inventory management, and more complex routing, raising concerns about margin impact.
Amazon’s continued investment in rapid delivery, including tests of even faster delivery options in select markets—signals that speed is becoming a central competitive factor across both retail and B2B commerce.
For distributors, the shift is structural: As delivery windows compress from days to hours, competition is increasingly defined by proximity, inventory positioning, and execution speed rather than price alone.
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