Amazon and Whole Foods Market announced Wednesday (August 8) the launch of curbside grocery pickup in Sacramento and Virginia Beach.
In a press release, Amazon said the service will come to more cities throughout the remainder of the year. With curbside delivery, Prime members can shop at Whole Foods Market online and pick up their order in thirty minutes without having to get out of their car. “Pickup from Whole Foods Market is a perfect option for customers who want to grab healthy and organic groceries at their convenience, all without leaving their car,” said Stephenie Landry, Worldwide Vice President of Prime Now, AmazonFresh and Amazon Restaurants, in the press release. “A customer can order at 5:00 p.m., pick up at 5:30 p.m., and 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.”
To take advantage of the new service, a Prime member would make their order via the Prime Now app and choose the pickup option when they are checking out. They can choose free pickup in an hour or more on orders of $35 or greater or for 30 minutes for $4.99. Once the customer arrives at the store and parks in a reserved spot, a shopper from Prime Now will place their groceries in the car. For customers who alert Prime Now they are on their way, the groceries will be ready upon their arrival. Otherwise, customers will wait a few minutes.