Park, load, go: Amazon brings grocery pickup to Whole Foods

NEW YORK (AP) – Amazon, known for bringing items to shoppers’ homes, is adding a curbside pickup option at Whole Foods for Prime members.

Shoppers will be able to order eggs, milk and other groceries on the Prime Now app, park in reserved spaces at the store and then workers will place the items in their cars.

Curbside grocery pickup is a feature that Walmart, Kroger and other grocers have been expanding to make shopping more convenient and boost sales. At Walmart, for example, the service has been a major driver of its online sales growth.

The Whole Foods move announced Wednesday is the latest by Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. since it took control of the grocery chain a year ago. Many of the changes have been for its Prime members, who pay $119 a year or $12.99 a month. Prime members can get special discounts at Whole Foods or order two-hour deliveries through Prime Now at certain stores.

The service will start Wednesday at its stores in Sacramento, California, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. It will expand to more cities this year. Orders of $35 and up are free if pickup is in an hour. There’s a fee of $4.99 for those who want to pick up within 30 minutes of ordering. Shoppers must use the Prime Now app to let Whole Foods know they are on their way or in the parking lot.