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

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.

Comments

Re:Conclusion:

[Two99Point80]

Amazon just recreated the Automat! Anyone else remember them from New York City?

Instant pickup isn't new...

[DogDude]

..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?

An efficient convenience store - wow!

[uncqual]

So, a convenience store?

However, perhaps it should be cheaper to run (so, therefore, prices should be lower???).

Some upsides:

1. No customer shoplifting
2. Less space devoted to stock (the items can be high and low and stacked front/back on the spartan shelves and not arranged for "presentation")
3. Less lossage due to products not getting shopworn or damaged by customers
4. No cash to handle or be robbed of (I assume it's all credit/debit card based)
5. Less product handling -> reduced staff costs
6. No need to train transient employees in "customer relations" (customers will presumably call an 800 number or initiate a chat if they have a problem?)
7. Easier to automate more completely
8. No interaction with a human

Some downsides::

1. Less opportunity for "impulse buys" at point of purchase (Slim Jim alert!)
2. No interaction with a human

Re: Limited item selection

[PoopJuggler]

And in Charlottesville all they sell are white hoods and crosses. And Slim Jims.