Amazon teams up with Japanese supermarket chain to sell fresh produce online
Amazon Japan has partnered with the Eastern nation's major supermarket chain Life Corporation to sell fresh produce online.
The e-commerce giant says it will handle delivery and processing payments through its Prime Now platform. As with typical Prime Now orders, produce items will be delivered in as little as two hours, says Amazon.
Life is the first food supermarket in the country to participate as a branch company in Prime Now. The supermarket chain will supply Amazon Japan's Prime Now members with a range of products, including those from its in-house brand, notes The Japan Times.
The corporations plan for this collaborative service to start in select areas of Tokyo later this year. It is meant to especially appeal to elderly and busy customers, adds the news publication.
“By opening a store at Prime Now, we can deliver products to people who have not been able to use Life until now, and they will be able to feel the charm of life. It will also be an opportunity, and we will do our best to provide products that satisfy our customers," explains Koji Iwasaki, CEO of Life.
Both companies view the partnership as advantageous. Through collaboration with Life, Amazon Japan expects to be able to expand its product offerings. Meanwhile, the Japanese supermarket operator hopes to reach a younger customer demographic and people who live in areas without its stores, reports The Japan Times.
Currently, Life ranks first in Japan in terms of sales as a single food supermarket. It operates a total of 273 stores, mainly located in metropolitan areas.
In recent years, the chain says it has been strengthening its online business.
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