Amazon has launched a new grocery pick-up service at Whole Foods Market stores, which will allow Amazon Prime members to order and pick up groceries within an hour.
The service will initially be available from Whole Foods Stores in Sacramento and Virginia Beach, though the company said that it will be introduced to other cities throughout 2018.
To use the service, Prime subscribers must order food through the Prime Now app and select the pick-up option when processing their order. Then, when they arrive at the store there is a designated pickup spot where a Prime Now store assistant will place groceries into their car within minutes.
Consumers who spend over $35 can pick up their groceries for free in an hour, or can pay $4.99 to pick up their groceries in 30 minutes.
The service will be available daily from 8 am to 10 pm, and subscribers can also use the service and order through Alexa devices.
Stephenie Landry, worldwide vice-president of Prime Now, AmazonFresh and Amazon Restaurants said: “Pickup from Whole Foods Market is a perfect option for customers who want to grab healthy and organic groceries at their convenience, all without leaving their car.
“A customer can order at 5:00 pm, pick up at 5:30 pm, and we’ll have their groceries loaded into their car just minutes after arrival.
“For an even faster experience, customers can tell us they are on their way using the Prime Now app and groceries will be ready as they arrive.”
Amazon acquired Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion in 2017, and this latest move comes as Amazon seeks to continue its expansion in the retail sector.
The tech giant inaugurated its first checkout-free supermarket in Seattle earlier this year, which aims to disrupt the traditional ‘brick and mortar’ retail segment by allowing consumers to take the products they want off of shelves and walk out of stores, while sensors and cameras allow Amazon to process their payments and charge their Amazon accounts.
Amazon also agreed a distribution deal with French retailer Carrefour earlier this year, which made groceries from Casino’s Monoprix supermarket available through the Amazon Prime Now platform.
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