Amazon to Bring Faster Prime Delivery to 4,000 Rural Areas

Making good on its promise to spend $4 billion by the end of 2026 to triple the size of its rural delivery network, Amazon.com announced Tuesday it would soon be providing same- and next-day delivery to 4,000 smaller cities, towns and rural communities across the country. The company said in a press release the extra coverage in rural America would benefit tens of millions of Prime customers. It aims to cover those 4,000 areas by the end of 2025.

In addition to expanding delivery in harder-to-reach places, Amazon is also transforming existing rural delivery stations into "hybrid hubs" where employees can store inventory on site and prepare packages for final delivery. It's also investing in advanced machine learning algorithms to predict which items will resonate with local Prime members.

Total Retail's Take: Amazon announced its ambitious delivery expansion plan in April. The e-commerce giant, known for its industry-leading logistics network, has set the standard for fast delivery, increasing its speed to just a few hours in some locations thanks to a network of warehouses and a fleet of delivery drivers from several carriers across the country.

Targeting rural communities for faster delivery also means Amazon is further entering competitive territories previously served by retailers such as Tractor Supply Company and Dollar General.