In 1860, the Pony Express revolutionized the American mail system. Western pioneers were able to receive their packages, mail and Harambe memes in a matter of days rather than weeks.
Today, in an age of largely non-horse-based delivery services, the standard for speed has remained largely stagnant with delivery times of around two to five days at a wide range of price points.
Retail giant Amazon recently decided that two-day shipping, as well as sometimes heinously expensive overnight option, simply wouldn’t cut it.
To remedy this, the company recently released a self-pickup option for expedited delivery. These pickup locations, popping up all across the country, allow packages to be ready for pickup within a few hours as long as the purchased item is in stock at the local Amazon warehouse.
The current selection of items numbers over three million at the moment, and the service’s speed still has the potential to bring desperate students to Amazon rather than an actual store.
Amazon’s decision to bring a location to Tech is simply one in a long series of student-focused efforts to bring in collegiate business. The company recently gave
a free six months of its Prime service to all customers with a valid .edu email address, as well as a $50 annual price cut should they continue use the service.
The pickup location, located just across the 5th Street bridge in Tech Square, has the potential to do more for students than just expedite the shipping of school supplies. In bypassing the traditional post system, Amazon should theoretically reduce traffic in Tech’s student center post office. It is also positioned to serve the many startups operating in the Tech Square area, an intentional move by Amazon.
To see if an item is available for free overnight shipping to Tech Square, look for the Amazon Locker option during checkout.