Whole Foods launches free one-hour grocery pickup at all US stores

Whole Foods is letting shoppers pick up grocery orders for free at all of its 487 US stores, parent company Amazon announced Wednesday.

The perk is available for Amazon Prime members who order at least $35 worth of groceries online, Amazon said in a blog post. Qualifying shoppers can choose a one-hour pickup window and check in on the Amazon app to let the store know they’re on the way.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to increased interest in the curbside pickup service, which Whole Foods previously offered at select stores. More than 40 percent of the pickup orders the chain handles each month come from customers using the option for the first time, and 68 percent of consumers expect to keep using curbside pickup even when the pandemic subsides, Amazon says.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online grocery services and prompted new customers to try services like grocery pickup, it’s clear that this offering will become a more permanent solution for many customers,” the e-commerce giant said in its blog post.

Amazon followed other big retailers in expanding curbside options amid the COVID-19 crisis. Walmart offers a grocery pickup service at hundreds of stores across the country, and Target expects to offer a similar option at more than 1,500 locations in time for the holidays.

Amazon previously expanded Whole Foods’ pickup service from about 80 stores to more than 150 in mid-April. The move came as the Seattle-based company grappled with a surge in demand for its grocery delivery services that forced it to put new customers on a waiting list.

With Post wires

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