Amazon Launches Prime Now One-Hour Delivery Service

Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. launched Prime Now, a delivery service that promises to send products to customers in an hour or less. Aimed at shoppers who are prone to making last-minute holiday purchases, the delivery service will cover Seattle, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and other cities across the country. Offering the service is an “expensive bet,” requiring the company to keep inventory in cities where real estate and workers cost considerably more. Amazon, however, by combining the convenience of online shopping with the immediate satisfaction of going to a quick trip to the local store, poses a more serious threat to other retailers, including Target Corp. and Macy’s Inc.