Amazon on Monday announced the expansion of its food delivery service — Amazon Food — across Bengaluru. The service, which was initially started in four PIN codes in the city, is now available across a total of 62 PIN codes covering localities such as Whitefield, HSR, Sarjapur, Koramangala, Indiranagar, MG Road, Jayanagar, JP Nagar, Frazer Town, Malleshwaram, Rajajinagar, and Vijayanagar, among others. The new move by the US e-commerce giant is likely to make the competition tougher for Swiggy and Zomato as both are already facing difficulties due to regular increase in fuel prices in the country.

As an introductory offer, Amazon has waived off packaging fees for all customers using the Amazon Food service. The company is, however, charging a delivery fee of Rs. 19 for customers who don’t have its Prime membership. The service is free for Prime members, though.

Amazon said that customers in Bengaluru could choose from a wide range of 48 cuisines and dishes such as Indian, Chinese, Italian, Biryani, Burgers, and desserts from over 2,500 restaurants and cloud kitchens. The service is notably accessible for ordering food between 7am and 11pm on a daily basis.

“With the expansion of Amazon Food in Bengaluru, we continue in our endeavour to offer unmatched convenience and value while being a part of their everyday lives. Amazon Food brings some of the city’s top restaurants including national outlets and as well as local favourites which are popular and follow strict delivery and safety protocols,” said Sameer Khetarpal, Director – Category Management, Amazon India.

Amazon Food currently offers food delivery from brands such as Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, Behrouz Biryani, Faasos, Chai Point, Freshmenu, MOJO Pizza, Punjab Grill, and Box 8. It also lists some of the popular food outlets of Bengaluru, including Adiga’s, Empire, A2B, Anand Sweets, Kannan Café, Toscano, Toit, Burma Burma, Mamagoto, Brik Oven, Gilly’s, Big Pitcher, Kapoor’s Café, Chinita, Windmills Craftworks, and Polar Bear.

Customers in any of the eligible localities can access the Amazon Food service through the Amazon India app. It is available under the Shop by Category section, though users can also find it by searching for “Amazon Food” in the search bar. A dedicated Food icon is also visible for customers who have entered any of the supported PIN codes in the Amazon app. However, it is important to point out that the service is not yet available through the Amazon site.

Amazon Food was launched in May last year — at a time when the national lockdown was in place across India that restricted physical access for most of the citizens. However, the company hasn’t provided any details showing how it performed over the last nine months of its launch. There is also no clarity on when and where the food delivery service will be expanded in the future.

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