Amazon has introduced a new service in the U.S. in partnership with drugstore chain Rite Aid to help customers pick up their purchased items at local physical stores. The retail giant says the Counter service is rolling out to more than a hundred Rite Aid stores across the country from today, with plans for expansion across 1,500 Rite Aid locations by the end of the year and other partners in the future.
With Counter, Amazon customers can choose a pickup location based on their zip code after shopping online and checking out a product. They will then be notified via email when their package is ready for pickup, complete with a barcode, store address, and business hours of their selected pickup point.
Amazon says Counter is designed to minimize disruption to the normal service activities of in-store staff as they cater to all customers, featuring a simple flow and user-friendly technology. Counter applies to all items sold on Amazon"s online storefront and is compatible with same-day, one-day, two-day and standard shipping with no additional cost.
Customers can pick up their items within 14 days only. The service is part of Amazon"s Hub family consisting of Locker, Locker+, and Apartment Locker delivery services. It was first launched in the UK with NEXT and in Italy through partnerships with Giunti Al Punto Librerie, Fermopoint, and SisalPay stores.