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Internet retailer Amazon has increased the presence of its Lockers collection service with locations now in six Co-operative shops.
The firm already had self-service collection points at a number of shopping centres around the UK (as well as in the US, in Seattle and New York), but it is now broadening its reach.
Co-operative Amazon lockers can currently be found at four stores in Greater London (Chelsea, Parsons Green, New Malden and Edenbridge), and two shops in Stockport and Alderley Edge.
Analyst Kantar Retail recently blogged about a visit to one of the stores (pictured right – image from Kantar’s Bryan Roberts).
Kantar’s Bryan Roberts noted: "In the UK, home delivery is basically the very antithesis of convenience, as it routinely ends up with a frustrating wait in for errant delivery personnel or an equally galling queue on a Saturday morning at the local Royal Mail sorting office. While the former might have the silver lining of a day spent watching Jeremy Kyle or Cash in the Attic, the latter is devoid of any consolation whatsoever.
"With increasing numbers of workplaces becoming rather reluctant for their post rooms to basically serve as last-mile fulfilment centres for Amazon and other distance sellers, the onus is falling on Amazon et al to come up with an alternative.
"It has already made some progress on the collection issue (if not the looking at stuff or returning stuff issues) through the installation of collection Lockers in shopping centres and travel locations. Kantar Retail has discovered that the Amazon Locker programme might be moving up a gear, with what appears to be the early stages of an alliance between Amazon and underachieving food retailer The Co-operative Group."
He also noted that the lockers are now much more easily identified with the Amazon brand (previous units were largely unbranded), giving the firm a much stronger bricks and mortar presence.
Amazon users who choose to get goods via the Amazon Lockers service receive an email that tells them when an item is ready to collection, which then gives them three business days to pick their order up, along with a unique code.
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