As Amazon braces for the busy holiday shopping season, the e-commerce giant is giving shoppers in the US more location options to get their packages delivered.
So instead of getting their packages delivered to their houses, shoppers can get the orders shipped to a nearby Amazon physical retail store or an Amazon Hub location, the company said on Monday.
Amazon Hub is a network of contactless package pickup options, offering customers either an attended or unattended experience in neighborhoods, cities, and college campuses.
Amazon said it is giving shoppers more delivery location options because it wants to offer choices for customers to keep gifts a surprise and make sure that those gifting moments stay “spoiler-free.”
The move may help the e-commerce giant cut last-mile delivery trips during the busy shopping season.
“This year many customers and their families are opting to stay home so the challenge of keeping those special gifts under wraps from family, friends or loved ones is going to be greater than ever,” John Felton, Vice President of Amazon Global Delivery Services, said in a statement.
“We’re helping customers keep their orders a surprise this year and have a number of ways we’re providing them more flexibility, control and convenience over their deliveries – whether that’s ordering to an alternative pickup location, tracking their package en route to their home, or consolidating their deliveries to a single day so they can plan ahead.”
The company said that this holiday season, customers can also enjoy the experience of hunting for great gifts and holiday deals while picking up their holiday order by selecting an Amazon 4-star or Amazon Books location as their delivery location.
According to a report in CNBC, an Amazon spokesperson said that alternative delivery options do not impact network capacity. Amazon said it has increased its capacity to meet the surge in demands of its services.
