About a month ago, I ordered something on Amazon that was a food item (maybe pecans?) and, on the way to checkout, I was asked whether I wanted to add things like 33-cent avocados (!!!!!), milk, or bananas to the order. I was a little confused, because I had been aware of the “Amazon Fresh” service (in partnership with Whole Foods, which they now own), but that was a separate service from Prime, with a separate annual fee.

I decided to try it out to see what happened— and who could resist 33-cent avocados? I added other items to get to the $25 minimum. I was offered a choice of 2 delivery windows: 5p-9p that evening, or 4a-8a the next morning. The items were exactly what I ordered and showed up on time.

I learned later that Amazon is testing this service, included for Prime members, in select cities (San Francisco being one of them). The goal is to compete with companies like Instacart and Wal-Mart, which apparently also offers grocery delivery.

I never use Instacart because it ends up being more trouble than just going to the store. Even if I add substitutions for every item and detailed instructions when I make my list, the shopper ends up texting incessantly during the trip (while I’m in meetings, which is always), half the time things on my list are unavailable, and some of the subsitutions are wrong. Amazon didn’t contact me at all during shopping, and presumably, they know exactly what is in stock when you order it.

Overall, it was a great experience, and I’ve used it a few times. I know Amazon is evil, but life is challenging, and this is a very useful tool in a pinch. I actually enjoy going to the grocery store, and there are both a Safeway and a Whole Foods within walking distance of my house. But work has been crazy lately, and this has been particularly useful for when we’ve run out of something midweek. I’m interested in seeing where it goes.