Amazon Starts to sell fresh produce online in Japan

Amazon Japan is partnering with local supermarket operator Life Corp to sell fresh foods online.

The project will commence in parts of Tokyo later this year and provide a range of produce to Amazon’s Prime Now subscribers in Japan, offering order times as prompt as two hours for delivery. It is the first time the internet giant’s Japanese unit has partnered with a supermarket chain.

Amazon Japan will handle all deliveries and process payments under the new venture, which targets those who face challenges leaving home to go shopping, such as the elderly or busy working professionals. The firm is hoping to use the service to meet a broader demographic for its Prime Now subscriptions.

The arrangement is an opportunity for Life to extend its current online reach, which currently covers just over half of the Tokyo metropolitan zone. Profitability remains a limiting factor for supermarkets investing in online order infrastructure in Japan.