Amazon Prime employee Alicia Jackson hunts for items at the company's urban fulfillment facility that have been ordered by customers on Dec. 22, 2015, in New York.Mark Lennihan—AP
Ever wondered how Amazon can deliver orders in the same day? In the company’s regional warehouses, orders are processed immediately; some are shipped less than an hour after shoppers hit the buy button.
Amazon has fulfillment centers in 20 cities across the United States dedicated to ultrafast orders placed through its Prime Now app. Through this service, which is available for Amazon Prime members, customers can opt for items to be delivered in an hour.
Here’s a look at what happens behind the scenes at Amazon’s 40,000-square-foot fulfillment center in New York City.
An Amazon employee walks down an aisle in the company's New York fulfillment center to retrieve items for an order.GIF by Josh Raab for TIMEEmployees responsible for picking items from Amazon's warehouse shelves to compile an order are called "pickers."GIF by Josh Raab for TIMESince customers can opt to get items delivered as quick as an hour, Amazon Prime Now sells frozen foods, ice cream, and other groceries. GIF by Josh Raab for TIMEOnce all of the items in the order are packaged, employees label them to prepare them for delivery.GIF by Josh Raab for TIMEThe orders are then placed on racks when they're ready to be handed off to Amazon's couriers. GIF by Josh Raab for TIMEEach rack is designated for packages to be delivered in different New York City neighborhoods, such as the Lower East Side or Long Island City.GIF by Josh Raab for TIMEPrime Now orders are then taken down to the building's main floor through a specific entrance designated for Prime Now deliveries.GIF by Josh Raab for TIMEAmazon's couriers deliver the packages by foot, subway, or car depending on which mode of transportation is the fastest. GIF by Josh Raab for TIME
