Amazon recently announced an initiative to let third-party sellers offer in-store pickup options to those who live near the merchant’s brick-and-mortar stores. The option will be ideal for those who want to support local businesses, but don’t want to wait for their package in the mail and deal with the frictions of e-commerce. Amazon’s newest shipping rollout, called Local Selling, will allow consumers to pick up items on their own terms, thus enhancing the brand’s brick-and-mortar relationships as a whole. It will also ensure that consumers are still using the company’s platform to purchase products.
Shoppers will be able to select free in-store pickup on eligible items and then pick up their purchase that same day.
“Sellers are actually using their own infrastructure for delivery, whether that’s specialty equipment, or just their local delivery infrastructure that they have in place today,” said Pat Bigatel, director of Local Selling, in an interview. “The delivery promise, because it is local, is faster than something that is normally shipped from a seller on a nationwide level.”
In-store pickup and other BOPIS options have become increasingly popular among omnichannel retailers since the beginning of the pandemic. Major retailers have used their physical footprints to speed up fulfillment processes, and in return, this has strengthened brick-and-mortar relationships. Amazon has made waves in the physical retail realm, with new stores, pickup hubs and more. This initiative will only increase their impact as an omnichannel retailer.
Source: Amazon – CNBC
Photo Credit: Amazon Media Assets
