Amazon And Whole Foods Compete To Deliver Mom’s Flowers

This year, the battle for Mother’s Day flower delivery is the battle of eCommerce versus brick-and-mortar. Or in the case of Whole Foods, it’s going to be a case of how to use eCommerce to connect consumers to brick-and-mortar.

Two of the major players competing in the Mother’s Day same-day delivery space this year will be Amazon and Whole Foods. Amazon will be offering same-day flower delivery for its Prime Now members, the New York Post reported. Those flowers will be delivered in an hour or less, but there’s a catch to this service: it’s only in parts of New York City, as the service is launching in Manhattan and Brooklyn. An Amazon spokeswoman indicated that Amazon is testing these markets first, but it may eventually branch out to other areas.

So for those Prime Now members in the specific New York City locations, that may turn out to be the most popular option, particularly because of the fast turnaround. But for everyone outside of those designated areas (and anyone else in the U.S.), they may be turning to another same-day delivery option: Whole Foods.

Similar to its partnership with Instacart, Whole Foods will once again be partnering with the delivery service to bring fresh flowers to its online customers for same-day Mother’s Day flower delivery. The service is available through May 10 (Mother’s Day), and orders were being accepted up to six days in advance. Customers can select a delivery time frame that falls within a two-hour period. Customers can also pick colors and specify what they want the handwritten note to say. And to pair with those flowers, the Instacart delivery option also allows customers to add on teas, chocolates, and even some food items.

“After seeing how much customers loved our Valentine’s Day floral delivery with Instacart, we’re now excited to offer a convenient, affordable way to celebrate moms everywhere with Whole Trade flowers that give back to women and communities around the globe,” David Lannon, executive vice president of operations for Whole Foods Market, said in a company news release.

And with an estimated 54 million U.S. households purchasing flowers for mom on Mother’s Day, there’s a big market for Whole Foods and Amazon to tap. The question is, will more consumers go brick-and-mortar for flowers, or will they turn to eCommerce?