Amazon is now delivering Whole Foods Market groceries in metro Detroit and the Ann Arbor area after launching the service in 48 cities across the country earlier this year.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant's relationship with the grocer it acquired last year means Amazon Prime Now customers can order produce, meat, seafood and other products to their doorstep, according to a Wednesday news release.

Delivery hours are 8 a.m.-10 p.m., according to Amazon's website.

Amazon Prime members can shop through the Prime Now app or site. Once they order, Whole Foods employees pick out the items and place them in a bag for delivery, according to an Amazon spokeswoman. Drivers employed through Amazon Flex, which pays people to deliver packages from their own cars, are then assigned to deliver the groceries.

The spokeswoman did not answer specific questions on metro Detroit hiring or on which stores are participating.

The website indicates delivery is available to some ZIP codes in Detroit and its suburbs.

"With our goal to cover as many Prime customers as possible with this new service in Detroit, our coverage is expansive," Tanvi Patel, head of business development for Prime Now, said in a statement. "Today we're excited to reach customers from Lake Orion in the north, to Dearborn in the south, and from West Bloomfield Township in the west to Sterling Heights and Clinton Township in the east."

The company rolled out last month a curbside pickup service with Whole Foods with intentions to expand. That service is not yet available in Detroit, and a spokeswoman declined to say when it may appear.

The move matches a growing trend of grocers adapting to evolving customer demands. Retailers including Kroger, Meijer and Walmart are offering delivery and curbside services to stay competitive.

Other markets selected for the delivery service include Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa in Florida; Madison and Milwaukee, Wis.; Omaha, Neb.; St. Louis and Tulsa, Okla.

Prime memberships are $119 per year or $12.99 per month. Rates drop to $59 per year and $6.49 per month for student memberships.

—Crain's reporter Annalise Frank contributed to this report