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Amazon taught us not to wait

Retailers are turning stores into local delivery hubs, making waiting for an order feel increasingly outdated

Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

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When Amazon $AMZN Prime launched in 2005, its promise of free two-day shipping sounded almost extravagant (Jeff Bezos even described it as feeling like an “indulgent luxury”). Over the next two decades, two days became one day, then same day, then a few hours. This year, Amazon began offering one-hour delivery on more than 90,000 products in some U.S. cities, alongside a three-hour option and an eye-popping 30-minute or less Amazon Now service.

The rest of retail has spent years trying to catch up. Now it increasingly has.

Walmart $WMT says it can deliver to 95% of U.S. households in three hours or less. In May, it began more prominently offering 30-minute-or-less delivery across 33 markets, with more than 100,000 eligible items ranging from groceries and prescriptions to electronics and pet food. Home Depot $HD will bring tools and supplies in as little as an hour. Target $TGT offers same-day delivery to more than 80% of the country. Even........

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