Ultra-fast delivery service proves popular with Portsmouth parents for last-minute school essentials

From a new lunch box to some forgotten highlighters, or some clean white socks, parents can pick up last-minute school essentials via a mobile app.

Amazon Prime Now’s ultra-fast delivery service runs across Portsmouth. Its members can place orders using the firm’s app and choose delivery within a two-hour, same day delivery window as part of their membership or within one hour for £6.99, right up to midnight the evening before the school gates open.

Geox Crush Trainers, Trutex Easy Care Shirts, Emma Bridgewater Blue Skies Slim Pencil Case, Collins Essential A5 New Range Project Book and the Oxford Thesaurus of English, are just some of the essentials on offer.

Mums and dads can also stock up on breakfast supplies for their star pupils by ordering grocery items including Warburtons Seeded Batch Bread, Tropicana Orange Juice and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes to accompany their deliveries, keeping the family well fuelled as they take on the first day of school.

Jason Weston, director of Prime Now, said: ‘Prime Now launched in Portsmouth in April and has proved very popular with local shoppers stocking up on last-minute items for busy family life.

‘As the start of term approaches, parents in Portsmouth who are Prime members can take advantage of our ultra-fast delivery service to get uniforms, shoes, stationary, school bags and much more delivered straight to their door in one or two-hour delivery windows as part of their membership.’

The Prime Now app is available on iOS and Android devices. For more go to amazon.co.uk/primenow.

The News’ Howard Frost tried out the Amazon Prime Now app ahead of his children’s return to school.

Endless wake-up calls, the mad dash to get ready, followed by painstakingly-slow car journeys - back to school is stressful enough for many parents.

Thankfully, the unwelcome return of term-time has been made that bit easier by Amazon’s Prime Now app.

If you’re in a panic about forgetting school items before the little darlings are back in class, this service takes the stress away with a few simple swipes on your phone.

Using Prime Now’s easy-to-use menu, I was able to order a wide variety of school goodies - from a dictionary and shirt, to pencil sharpener and lunch boxes.

A couple clicks more to confirm and pay for my order, I was almost done in a matter of minutes.

And then the best part.

Completing my purchase at around 6pm, I was given the option to have the goods with me by 9pm that evening.

More pressing duties in the pub - well, it was a Friday night - meant I opted for the next morning. And by 10am, my order had arrived.

A huge bonus for any last-minute needs - and some welcome help ahead of those manic mornings.