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Amazon adds grocery pickup kiosks in Seattle

May 30, 2017

Amazon.com Inc. has opened two grocery pickup kiosks in Seattle in an effort to compete against "click and collect" shopping options from supermarket retailers, according to Bloomberg.

The "AmazonFresh Pickup" allows shoppers to buy groceries online and pick them up in as little as 15 minutes instead of having them delivered to their homes. The service is for Amazon Prime members who pay $99 annually for delivery discounts and music and video streaming. The kiosks have canopied parking spaces similar to those seen at gas stations.

Grocery sales have not shifted online as fast as other merchandise, putting Amazon at a disadvantage against supermarket competitors. Amazon is testing brick-and-mortar concepts to improve its grocery sales while competitors add online options to existing stores.