Shoppers on Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) can purchase everything from flat screen TVs to gardening supplies, books and tablet computers. Now, shoppers in selected states will be able to buy something new: wine.
The Internet retail giant has launched an online wine shop offering more than 1,000 wines. A $9.99 charge will cover shipping for up to six bottles of wine, Reuters noted.
Currently, only customers in 12 states can order wine through Amazon. Wine and liquor sales are governed by a maze of complex laws and restrictions, which vary from state to state, complicating sales for online retailers.
This marks Amazon’s second attempt to break into the online wine market. It halted a prior effort due to regulatory issues.
Here are the states currently serviced by Amazon’s wine marketplace:
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Oregon
- Washington
- Wyoming
The service will also be available in the District of Columbia.
Amazon, which has invested heavily in its streaming movie business, recently unveiled a new pricing structure for its Amazon Prime streaming service. Instead of a single $79 charge for year of service, users can now pay $7.99 a month for access to videos, e-book rentals and free shipping. The lower price is aimed at attracting customers away from streaming rival Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX).
Shares of Amazon slipped about 1% in mid-day trading on Thursday.
