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Amazon Adds 'Instant Pickup Points' In US Brick-And-Mortar Push (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the time-is-money dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Amazon is rolling out U.S. pickup points where shoppers can retrieve items immediately after ordering them, shortening delivery times from hours to minutes in its latest move into brick-and-mortar retail. The world's largest online retailer has launched 'Instant Pickup' points around five college campuses, such as the University of California at Berkeley, it said on Tuesday. Amazon has plans to add the program to more sites by the end of the year. Shoppers on Amazon's mobile app can select from several hundred fast-selling items at each location, from snacks and drinks to phone chargers. Amazon employees in a back room then load orders into lockers within two minutes, and customers receive bar codes to access them.

1 of 59 comments (clear)

  1. Instant pickup isn't new... by DogDude · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ..I've been using it for my entire life.
    1. Go into store.
    2. Hand cash to employee of store.
    3. Receive merchandise.

    I like my method of "instant pickup" better for a bunch of reasons:
    1. Doesn't require giving 2% of my purchase to Visa/Mastercard
    2. Doesn't require giving all of my personal information, including my web browsing history, my social media accounts, my Google accounts, and the history of where I physically go, to Amazon.
    3. Some of my money stays in my local community.
    4. I don't need a fucking app or a fucking phone to buy a fucking snack.

    But hey, what do I know?

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.