USA: Amazon provides new threat to city c-stores

Amazon's latest challenge to the convenience store industry is a new service that allows customers to buy online and pick up in a matter of minutes. The online retailing giant has rolled out five fully staffed pickup locations across the U.S.

Instant Pickup gives Amazon Prime and Prime Student users the chance to order products – such as snacks, drinks and others – and have them available for pickup in as little as two minutes, reports CNN.

The service seems focused on students as most of the pickup points are located near university campuses and colleges in Los Angeles, California; Berkeley, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Columbus, Ohio; and College Park, Maryland.

The service works through the Amazon app, where Prime members can shop for ‘need-it-now’ items like food, drinks, personal care items, technology essentials and Amazon devices like Echo, Echo Dot, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Kindle e-readers.