There are countless reasons why we love Amazon. Their selection is huge and unrivaled. Their “deals of the day” are stellar, and their pricing is on point. Plus, Amazon is quick, easy and convenient. You can order anything you need with the push of a button — or a single click. And the best part? You can shop anywhere, anytime. No traveling, peopling or pants required. But the online retailers latest endeavor has us confused: Amazon is now offering in-store package pickup for… reasons?
Make no mistake: the idea behind Counter — the new pickup service — is pretty solid. Customers can go to one of 100 “pickup points” across the country and grab their prescriptions and Amazon purchases at the same time, as all Counter locations are currently housed inside Rite-Aid drugstores.
“We want[ed] to give every Amazon customer the option of an alternative delivery location,” Patrick Supanc, the worldwide director of Amazon Hub, told Reuters. And “this will become an extensive network.” Amazon will have over 1,500 Counter locations by the end of the year.
Amazon launches new in-store pickup option with Rite Aid as first partner https://t.co/9HNZ9KZVgSpic.twitter.com/cxzsXZutDX
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 27, 2019
The service will also be free, and customers can select Counter regardless of their shipping method — which is to say Counter is available with same-day, one-day, two-day and standard shipping. Still, the program seems a bit silly (at least to me) because, if I’m putting on pants, I can buy light bulbs, Band-Aids and cat food on my own.
Of course, I may not be Amazon’s target demographic. Amazon created Counter because — like Locker — it helps those living in condos, apartment buildings and/or locales where packages cannot easily be delivered. (Locker is Amazon’s self-service package pick-up program, which is currently available in 2,800 locations across 70-plus cities.) Still, we wonder whether we — or the world — are ready for Counter.
Leave a Comment