Rebecca Wadsworth has a “love/hate relationship” with Amazon Prime.
She and her husband spend between $1,000 and $2,000 a month on Amazon, charging it to their Amazon credit card. They buy a wide range of items — body wash, shampoo, vitamins, dog food, even clothing and shoes — and packages arrive at their Philadelphia home several times a week.
For recurring purchases, they have opted into “subscribe and save,” which automatically sends customers refills of frequently used items to their door before they run out. They’ve priced out what it would cost to buy the same items at other retailers like CVS, Target or Wegmans, she said, and it’s usually cheaper on Amazon.
At the same time, “I truly hate it. If I could get off Amazon, it would be great,” she said. “I hate supporting Amazon and (founder) Jeff Bezos in any way shape or form.”
Amazon and its Prime subscription service, which costs $15 a month (or $140 a year) and comes with faster shipping speeds at no additional charge, have fundamentally changed the way consumers shop online. Industry experts have coined this shift “the Amazon effect.” Consumers now expect a quick and easy shopping experience, with ultrafast delivery speeds, real-time package tracking, on-demand customer service, and flexible, free returns.