The free service is available for Prime subscribers on orders $35 or more and begins Wednesday. Customers that spend less than the minimum can get one-hour pickup for $1.99. Previously, this service was only available at select Whole Foods locations.
Amazon, which bought the upscale grocery chain for $13.7 billion three years ago, keeps adding perks for Prime subscribers. For example, they get an extra 10% off sale items, Prime-specific deals and free delivery on orders.
Picking up groceries has become popular in the pandemic because shoppers want to limit their time inside stores. It can also be faster for customers than waiting for home delivery, and there are no delivery fees.
Whole Foods said in a release that the new pickup perk is the result of more people using its curbside pickup option. Roughly 40% of pickup orders are from customers trying the service for the first time.
Walmart (WMT), which offers free grocery pickup for orders above $35 at more than 3,500 of its stores, recently said that customers add more items to their baskets when they order for pickup than they do when buying in person. For Kroger (KR), pickup, not home delivery, made up the bulk of its online sales.
Target (TGT) plans to offer fresh and frozen grocery items for pickup at more than 1,500 stores in the fall for the fist time. Warehouse chain competitors Sam’s Club and BJ’s Wholesale Club (BJ) have also introduced curbside pickup for the first time in the pandemic.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated an incorrect price for customers who spend less than $35. The curbside pickup charge for those customers is $1.99.