AmazonFresh Pickup Grocery Stores Officially Open in Seattle 

AmazonFresh takes another leap forward in grocery. Magid’s Matt Sargent, senior vice president of retail, gives Retail Dive an analysis and explanation of what this means moving forward.

Dive Brief:

• Amazon on Tuesday announced the launch of its AmazonFresh Pickup service, which enables consumers to order thousands of grocery items (including meats, fresh produce, bread, dairy and household essentials) through the e-commerce kingpin’s website or mobile app for local pickup within 15 minutes.
• Amazon is trialing AmazonFresh Pickup in physical stores located in Seattle’s SODO and Ballard neighborhoods, according to an email from the company sent to Retail Dive. Beta testing is for now limited to Amazon employees; there’s no order minimum, and once the service launches more widely, it will be free for Prime shipping subscribers.
• Speculation about AmazonFresh Pickup’s imminent launch has been rampant for weeks as workers put the finishing touches on drive-through structures. Amazon reportedly has plans to open 20 grocery stores in major U.S. cities over the next couple of years.

Read More from RetailDive