Amazon Instant Pickup will have your order ready in two minutes

by Micah Singleton@MicahSingleton  Aug 15, 2017, 10:15am EDT

Amazon has launched Instant Pickups, its latest push into retail outlets, which will allow customers to instantly pick up “daily essential” orders at select locations across the US. Instant Pickup will allow Prime and Prime Student users to order things like food, cold drinks, phone chargers, personal care items, and Amazon Echo products at five fully staffed locations in Los Angeles, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Berkeley, California; Columbus, Ohio; and College Park, Maryland.

Targeted at college students — all Instant Pickup locations are on or near major college campuses — users will be able to place an order through the Amazon app and pick it up two minutes later. According to Reuters, Instant Pickup prices may be cheaper than standard Amazon orders from time to time, but Amazon declined to detail its pricing structure.

As Instant Pickup expands, it could be a huge blow to big-box retailers and office supply stores like Best Buy and Staples — places where students usually go to pick up cheap electronic devices that Amazon can now offer directly on campus. Amazon says it will expand its Instant Pickup locations throughout the year, including one in Chicago, according to Reuters.