Amazon Launches 'Instant' Pickup

Amazon upped the ante on delivery speed again this month by launching Instant Pickup, a free service that lets Prime members get select product essentials in two minutes or less at five locations.

The service offers Prime and Prime Student members a curated selection of daily essentials that will be available in two minutes or less at five of Amazon’s fully staffed locations on college campuses in Los Angeles and Berkeley, Calif., Atlanta, Columbus, Ohio, and College Park, Md. The service is expected to quickly expand to some of Amazon's other 17 campus locations. 

The hundreds of eligible "need it now" items include snacks, cold drinks, personal care items and electronics accessories, as well as Amazon’s own devices. 

Prime members can browse the product selections, place an order, even add last-minute items to an online order and pick it up from a self-service locker at the location.

“Instant Pickup is another way Amazon is making life more convenient for Prime members,” said Ripley MacDonald, the company's director of student programs. “As shopping behaviors continue to evolve, customers consistently tell us that they want items even faster. Whether it’s a snack on-the-go [or] replacing a lost phone charger in the middle of a hectic day ... Instant Pickup saves Prime members time. We’re excited about bringing this experience to more customers soon.”

The 22 college pickup locations primarily serve as shipping destinations for orders placed by Prime members for same-day and one-day delivery.