Amazon's Singapore quick delivery stalls as demand overwhelms at launch

Amazon.com Inc's Prime Now quick delivery service in Singapore, which launched on Thursday and kicked off its push into Southeast Asia, has been overwhelmed by demand, preventing it from taking on fresh orders.

"Due to great customer response, delivery windows are currently sold out," Amazon said in an emailed statement on Friday. "We are rapidly opening up new windows to ensure we can continue delighting customers in Singapore."

Local media reported the app was notifying users that delivery was unavailable. A Reuters check, however, showed the service to be functioning.

Amazon launched its two-hour delivery service in Singapore on Thursday, marking the e-commerce giant's biggest push into Southeast Asia and its first head-on battle with Chinese rival, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

The Prime Now Singapore app promises to deliver items as varied as eggs, drills and nappies within two hours.