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

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.

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.”

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.