Amazon Partnering With Retailers for In-Store Pickup Option
This could be great news for people who live in the sticks.
I grew up in the middle of nowhere. Some people smirk when they hear that, but it's the truth. It was a tiny mountain town and we couldn't even see our one closest neighbor. Any trip to the store was coupled with several other errands to fill the day. We called it "going down the hill." Oh, and anything being delivered to our door was completely out of the question.
That's why I'm a big fan of Amazon's new option for in-store pickup for packages.
According to Reuters, Amazon is adding another option to getting your packages. The idea is that you can order something on Amazon and have it sent to a retailer for you to pick up later. Trust me, it's not as crazy as having Amazon deliver into the trunk of your car... which is a real thing.
Right now Amazon has partnered with its first retailer, the pharmacy Rite Aid. They've got about 100 locations that are already testing out this process and hope to have 1,500 by the end of 2019. Customers will order their items and select a store from a list. Once the item has arrived at the store, they will receive an email with a barcode. Store clerks will then scan the barcode and retrieve the package for the customer.
It also appears to be a win for the retailers too as they are receiving foot traffic that they may not previously have seen. I like this idea because it has the potential to keep some of these stores in business. Any way that Amazon can help actual brick and mortars survive seems like a good plan.
Would you use this kind of service?