When a household runs out of coffee or aluminum foil, replacing those products can be as simple as talking to a smart home speaker, like Alexa or Siri. Within a few moments, products can be ready to ship from Amazon or a Walmart shopping cart can be updated. Depending on the item and location, those products can be delivered same-day.
Rapid delivery is a relatively new phenomenon. It started when Amazon introduced Prime in 2005 and promised two-day shipping. When Amazon entered the grocery business in 2017, it made same-day delivery possible. One industry analyst wrote we had entered a new era. Instead of price wars, it was time wars. Who could get it to the consumer the fastest?
