Amazon earlier this year announced plans to spend more than $4 billion to grow its U.S. rural delivery network by the end of 2026, promising faster shipments to drive up demand from consumers in small towns and the countryside. With more than 200 million paid Amazon Prime members worldwide, Prime has become a key growth engine for the company. In a bid to boost Prime's performance, Amazon has focused on expanding geographically while also offering discounts to younger shoppers to grow its subscriber base.