Amazon, Whole Foods Debut Click-and-Collect

Amazon and its Whole Foods Market unit have launched grocery pickup service that lets shoppers order items and pick them up in 30 minutes without leaving their vehicle. The rollout will begin in Sacramento, CA, and Virginia Beach, VA, with more cities to come through the end of 2018.

“Pickup ... is a perfect option for customers who want to grab healthy and organic groceries at their convenience,” said Stephenie Landry, worldwide vice president of Prime Now, AmazonFresh and Amazon Restaurants. “We’ll have their groceries loaded into their car just minutes after arrival. For an even faster experience, customers can tell us they are on their way using the Prime Now app and groceries will be ready as they arrive.”

Prime members place an order using the app and choose the pickup option at checkout. They can choose a free pickup in one hour (on orders of $35) or in 30 minutes for a $4.99 fee. After arriving at the store, they park in a reserved spot and await delivery. For customers who send an “on the way” notification have their groceries ready upon arrival.

In addition to pickup, Prime members in select cities can place orders for home delivery from Whole Foods; voice shopping via Amazon Alexa is also an option. Pickup and delivery services are both available daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.