Global online retailer Amazon has introduced Instant Pickup, a free service offering Prime and Prime Student members a curated selection of daily essentials available for pickup in two minutes, or less, at five of Amazon’s fully staffed pickup locations in Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles and Berkeley, California; Columbus, Ohio; and College Park, Maryland.
Items available with Instant Pickup include snacks, drinks and electronics, as well as some of Amazon’s most popular devices.
“Instant Pickup is another way Amazon is making life more convenient for Prime members,” said Ripley MacDonald, director, student programs, Amazon. “As shopping behaviours continue to evolve, customers consistently tell us that they want items even faster. Whether it’s a snack on-the-go, replacing a lost phone charger in the middle of a hectic day or adding Alexa to your life with an Echo, Instant Pickup saves Prime members time. While Instant Pickup is available at select pickup locations today, we’re excited about bringing this experience to more customers soon.”
With Instant Pickup, Prime and Prime Student members can use the Amazon App to shop hundreds of need-it-now items such as food, cold drinks, personal care items, technology essentials and Amazon devices such as the Echo, Echo Dot, Fire TV and a selection of Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers. Prime members can browse the selection, place an order, even add last-minute items to an online order and pick it up from a self-service locker – all within two minutes or less.
Commenting on the development, Bill Bruce, editor of Cooler Plus – which is soon to be relaunched as Refreshment magazine – said: “This aligns with Amazon’s other moves towards bricks and mortar retailing, and while I doubt it will worry existing on-campus vending companies for now, we can only wait and see if its recent acquisition of Whole Foods Market creates a new opportunity for ‘vending’ fresh produce through Instant Pickup points.”
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