Quick Delivery Services Expand Beyond Food

(AP) —

While ordering lunch and dinner online has grown in popularity, food isn’t the only thing you can have quickly delivered to your door.

These days, some major-city dwellers can get same-day or next-day delivery of everything from laundry to a slow cooker.

Here’s a look at a few delivery services:

AMAZONFRESH — Currently available in Los Angeles and Seattle, Amazon.com’s service provides same-day and early-morning delivery of more than 500,000 Amazon products, including fresh groceries and local items. The service was launched in Seattle in 2007 and Los Angeles in June. The company is still figuring out if it will launch in other cities, says spokesman Scott Stanzel. “The economics are challenging,” he says.

AmazonFresh costs $299 a year for customers in Los Angeles, and includes a free subscription to Amazon Prime, a $79-per-year service that includes free two-day shipping on many Amazon items and access to the company’s video streaming selection. The setup in Seattle is different. Seattle customers generally pay for each delivery, but are able to qualify for free delivery if they order frequently over the course of a month or spend over a certain limit.

EBAY NOW — Launched last year in San Francisco, eBay’s service delivers items from local stores in about one hour. Items include everything from iPads to smoke alarms to heaters and plant fertilizer. The service, which has expanded to New York, Chicago and San Jose, Calif., costs $5 with a $25 order minimum. It’s expanding to more locations by the end of next year, including Dallas and London. Participating stores include Best Buy, Macy’s, Target, Urban Outfitters and Home Depot.

DELIVERY.COM — While the bulk of the company’s business still involves food, Delivery.com also acts as an online-ordering service for a variety of other businesses, such as wine and spirit shops, convenience stores, laundry services and delis. In June, it acquired Brinkmat.com, a New York-based laundry, dry cleaning and delivery company. Its goal? To become the Amazon.com of same-day delivery, says CEO Jed Kleckner.

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