2020 was a tough year, no question about it. The job market took a big hit, with U.S. unemployment soaring to 13.3% in June 2020, a whopping 9.7% increase from May 2019. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The gig economy saw a boom, with many people turning to flexible work options to weather the storm.
Grocery delivery services like Shipt and Instacart really stepped up, hiring hundreds of thousands of shoppers and drivers to meet the growing demand. Amazon also went on a hiring spree, bringing on an extra 175,000 workers since March. They even bumped up their hourly pay to attract more workers. A lot of these new hires were delivery drivers and warehouse workers, but they also hired a bunch of Amazon Prime Now shoppers to help with grocery orders for Prime members.
If you’re on the job hunt and want something flexible, you might want to consider becoming an Amazon Prime Now shopper. Unlike food delivery jobs like DoorDash or Postmates, where you could be picking up orders from all sorts of places, Amazon Prime Now shoppers work exclusively in Whole Foods stores that are part of Amazon’s Prime Now network.
As a Prime Now shopper, your job is to pick out the items for online grocery orders, let customers know if anything they want is out of stock, and pack up the groceries for delivery. You don’t have to worry about the delivery part, though. That’s handled by separate Amazon delivery drivers.
One cool thing about this job is that Amazon provides a phone for receiving Prime Now orders, so you don’t have to use your own. And you don’t need a car, which makes this job pretty accessible.
Just to clear up any confusion, Amazon Prime Now is different from Amazon Prime Pantry and Amazon Fresh. Prime Pantry is a special store within Amazon for bulk ordering household essentials and nonperishable foods. Amazon Fresh is a more comprehensive grocery delivery service, but it’s not just for Whole Foods orders.
So, if you want to work exclusively in Whole Foods, becoming an Amazon Prime Now shopper is the way to go.
In terms of pay, Amazon announced a $15 minimum wage for all employees in 2018, which also applies to Prime Now shoppers. Depending on your city and shift, you might earn more, but $15 per hour seems to be the average. That’s a lot higher than the minimum wage in many states, making this a pretty good gig that doesn’t require a degree or any experience to start.
As a Prime Now shopper, you’ll be working in a Whole Foods store for your entire shift. You can work up to 20 hours per week, with shifts that are four to five hours long. You get to choose your own shifts based on your availability, but you have to work at least four hours per month.
One thing to note is that Amazon doesn’t guarantee a certain number of hours each month. So, if you want to maximize your earnings, you’ll need to be quick to grab available shifts. If there’s enough demand, you can even schedule back-to-back four-hour shifts for a full work day.
Unlike most gig jobs, where you work as an independent contractor, as a Prime Now shopper, you’re an Amazon employee. That means you’re entitled to their minimum wage and your tax return will be simpler than if you were self-employed.
Full-time Amazon employees get a bunch of benefits, like health care plans, a 401(k) savings plan with a company match, paid time off, holiday overtime pay, and paid short- and long-term disability coverage. To get these benefits, you need to work at least 20 hours per week, which might be tough as a Prime Now shopper since hours aren’t guaranteed.
But even if you start off part-time, there’s potential for growth. As Amazon continues to grow, more full-time positions become available. So, you could start off as a part-time, seasonal worker and eventually move up to full-time status, with increased benefits.
Amazon is also an equal opportunity employer, so they hire regardless of sexual orientation, race, and gender identity.
If you’re interested in becoming a Prime Now shopper, the application process is pretty straightforward. You need to be at least 18 years old, have a high school, GED, or equivalent diploma, be able to speak and read English, and be physically capable of shopping in a grocery store for your entire shift.
The application process is all online and should only take about 30 minutes. You don’t need a resume or CV, and you could start working as soon as seven days after you apply.
Before you apply, though, there are a few things you should consider. First, Prime Now shoppers can only work a maximum of 20 hours per week, and scheduling shifts can be competitive. Also, every job has an opportunity cost, so consider if there are more lucrative jobs in your city or other ways to make money online that suit your skills better.
If you’re considering full-time work, Amazon has a variety of part-time positions that pay well. But if you work more than 20 hours per week for Amazon, you get even more benefits.
Lastly, it’s a good idea to read reviews about what it’s like to work as a Prime Now shopper. Websites like Glassdoor and the Reddit group Amazon Whole Foods Shoppers can give you a better idea of what to expect.
In conclusion, working as a Prime Now shopper could be a good fit if you want to make money on your own schedule without being self-employed. It’s an easy way to make extra cash if you need the work, especially if you don’t have a degree or previous work experience. Just make sure to read other reviews and understand that Amazon doesn’t guarantee Prime Now hours.
