I just ran into an offer from Amazon to receive a $1 Amazon Instant Video credit if I chose slower shipping rather than the standard 2 day shipping I’m be entitled to as an Amazon Prime customer. This appears to have started around the end of July 2014, judging by the other blog posts I found in a quick Google search, and I think the concept is brilliant!
Today I’m shopping for items I don’t need right away – mostly because I’m on vacation for a week and won’t be able to use them until I return. How great is it to have the option to place my order on a slower delivery schedule and to be rewarded with a $1 instant video credit for making that choice? A choice that because of my schedule has no impact on me at all.
When I order everyday household items via Amazon (mostly because my local grocery chain appears to be testing the limits of how few cashiers they can utilize during all times of the day), I often don’t care how quickly these things arrive (Exception: Toilet paper).
Hopefully these types of offers from Amazon continue. I find that I use them for more everyday items as the service quality and hassle factor of a trip to the local grocery increase. Now if my local grocery store started providing $1 instant video credits for “picking the slowest line” – Amazon might have something to worry about. For now, this seems like a winning option.