The rollout is similar to the way Pinterest launched its Buyable Pins, by partnering with certain merchants and testing out consumer behaviors around the process.
The Optivo Corporation, for example, has received money from Norwest Venture Partners to start a software application service that would allow online merchants to test an array of prices at different times.
Once you've found one to try (Decanter magazine's website has a useful interactive map of reputable UK wine merchants here), test them out by telling them what you like, giving them a modest budget and seeing what recommendations they come up with.
Adored, a Manchester-based app that lets users know about daily specials, worked with a group of local merchants to test different approaches before deciding on the app's current structure, which emphasizes daily photos of chalkboards.
That flexibility enables major brands to create temporary shops to pitch new products, while also allowing some independent and regional merchants to test out products in new areas without committing to an entire store launch.
It's also now testing its merchants' app on Android tablets and even iPad minis.
Currently, the company has 35 merchants across different verticals testing the service in San Francisco, New York, Florida, and the Maryland/New Jersey area.
As shoppers become increasingly used to getting whatever they want almost instantaneously, extending Prime Now will help Amazon compete against on-demand delivery startups, other e-commerce businesses like eBay, and even Uber, which is testing a merchant delivery program.
But since few of his customers bothered to use the Mondex card, he returned the transactional hardware a terminal and a merchant deposit card after fruitlessly testing it for more than a year.
Joining shortly after the launch of Uber's first API, he built the platform team responsible for embedding "Request a ride" buttons in other apps, testing ways for merchants to give Uber discounts for rides to their stores, and offering mid-ride content from partners like Snapchat.
