Amazon.com opens ‘AmazonFresh Pickup’ kiosks in Seattle to opponent ‘Wal-Mart’

The popular e-commerce giant Amazon.com has recently opened two grocery pickup kiosks in Seattle. The move is said to be its newest attempt to make it to the $800 billion (roughly Rs. 51,65,000 crores) grocery market and contend with "click and collect" shopping options from big box competitors like Wal-Mart Stores.

This all new "AmazonFresh Pickup" points allow the shoppers to buy groceries online and pick them in just 15 minutes or less than that rather than having delivery at their homes. The service is open to Amazon Prime members who pay $99 a year for delivery discounts and video and music streaming. Each of this location offers the parking spaces under canopies alike to those seen at gas stations.

Over the years, the Grocery sales have been sluggish to move online, unlike books and electronics, leaving Amazon at a drawback to competitors like Wal-Mart, Target Corp. and supermarket chain Kroger Co. As of now, Amazon is experimenting with brick-and-mortar notions to get a grip in grocery sales while its competitors add online alternative to their accessible stores.

Well that’s not all, the e-commerce giant has started ‘Amazon Go’ which follows a convenience store format and allows the shoppers to check in with a smartphone app, grab sandwiches, salads and other items they want from shelves and leave without having to check out. In its place, customers get billed automatically. According to few familiar people with the matter, the format is by now being tested by employees, who have found the technology crashes when the store gets too crowded.