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Amazon Debuts 'Instant Pickup' for Ordering and Picking Up Items in Under Two Minutes

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In its ongoing push into retail, Amazon today announced the opening of five "Instant Pickup" locations in the United States, allowing Prime subscribers to choose from a selection of "daily essentials" that are made available for pick up in two minutes or less (via Reuters). The essential items include snacks, drinks, electronics, and Amazon's own devices.

amazon-instant-pickup.jpg

The Instant Pickup process begins with Prime and Prime Student users visiting Amazon's iOS or Android app to browse through hundreds of essential and daily care items. Users can then place an order, decide on an Instant Pickup location, and then go to the retail store to pick it up from a self-service locker.

On the employee side of things, when users place an order someone at the Instant Pickup store gathers the items in a back room, and then places them within one of the numbered lockers. After customers place their order, they're given the number to the locker and a barcode to access its contents at the Instant Pickup store.
"Instant Pickup is another way Amazon is making life more convenient for Prime members," said Ripley MacDonald, Director, Student Programs, Amazon. "As shopping behaviors 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."
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Amazon is launching Instant Pickup as an expansion to five of its established pickup locations in Los Angeles; Atlanta; Berkeley, California; Columbus, Ohio; and College Park, Maryland. More pickup shops will be getting Instant Pickup in the coming months.

For those near one of the locations who want to try out Instant Pickup, Amazon advises users to update their Amazon iOS app to version 9.15 [Direct Link], and then look for Instant Pickup in "Programs and Features." The new service is a free addition to any Prime or Prime Student membership.

Article Link: Amazon Debuts 'Instant Pickup' for Ordering and Picking Up Items in Under Two Minutes
 
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https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/15/amazon-debuts-instant-pickup/
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A little confused on how "Amazon's own devices" can be "daily essentials" but OK.

Also, does anyone else think its odd that lots of brick and mortar stores closed due to Amazon, and not Amazon is getting into the retail area?
 
I was on deck for a presentation in SF last year, needed some speakers, when we checked Amazon there were two options: same day (like 2-3 hours) for free, or a 15 minute delivery for like $10, we chose the latter - holy ****, sure enough, in that timeframe Amazon delivered. It was like the guy was just circling our block with a van full of electronics, waiting for an order :D

toph2toast said:
Also, does anyone else think its odd that lots of brick and mortar stores closed due to Amazon, and not Amazon is getting into the retail area?
Click to expand...

I'd say there's still a sizable group of consumers that want that immediate fulfillment, and while that market segment may not be large enough to sustain the model of conventional brick and mortar, this may service them, but with greatly reduced overhead.

It's not unlike the video market - first there were mom and pop stores, those were displaced by superstores, that were then shutdown by streaming services - yet, there were enough people that wanted physical, immediate access to movies, things like Redbox have been pretty successful - instant gratification, through a model with much lower overhead.
 
This is amazing. I live 5 minutes from the Columbus location. I thought Amazon Prime Now was awesome. This is even better.
 
They should work on streamlining their service. Same day delivery should be standard before enhancing further. Surely they need to push new services which is always welcome. But the focus should be on providing the same standards in the big markets first.
 
The sole reason I order things on Amazon is because I want delivery. I would much rather wait two days than be bothered driving to the pickup location. That is the entire appeal of online shopping. Inconveniencing me to pick up my order should come with a discounted price, and I worry that one day Amazon might flip that into charging a [higher] shipping charge if I don't pick the item up myself.
 
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arkitect said:
They're probably already working on a system where they know what I want even before I do…

Good grief. This is getting a tad ridiculous.

There is a kind of pleasure in waiting for something.

But, heh, I'm old. :)
Click to expand...

There really isn't tho.

Everybody with prime can choose between 2-day free and regular free shipping. What percentage do we imagine opt out of free 2-day shipping because they enjoy a longer wait?

Shall we request a 100-day option? That'd be so much fun
 
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Can't ever remember going to Argos and being done in two minutes!

However I've been to a normal shop 1000's of times and been out with what I want quicker.

Like others have said I prefer to order online and get it delivered to my house.

I also plan ahead so I don't need a delivery in two minutes.
 
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Kind of reminds me of something called The Automat in NYC when I was a boy. I believe it was run by Horn & Hardart, you walked up to a wall of little windows with all kinds of good food behind the windows, inserted your money and helped yourself.
 
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Does the US not have anything like this already? As already mentioned Argos has been operating like this in the U.K. for years.
 
Argos could have been the Amazon of the UK and possibly expanded beyond..,

I tried to sell them their first website in 1997 with a plan for online selling / delivery and collecting in store. The Director at the time was an idiot and couldn't see the potential - hundreds of warehouse stores already in place and the infrastructure.

Took them 10 years to get their head out of their nethers and get on with it.
 
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