Amazon has leaped off of the Internet and into the physical world.
The online sales giant opened its first physical location, a pickup and drop-off center on the campus of Purdue University, this week — the first of what could become many spots at colleges, universities and beyond.
“Whether students are ordering textbooks, laptops or mac and cheese, Amazon and Purdue are now providing a convenient and secure spot for them to pick up their stuff at hours that work with their schedules,” Paul Ryder, Amazon’s vice president of media and student programs, said in a statement. “We look forward to bringing this experience to more universities soon.”
At the Indiana university, students, faculty and staff can activate a membership at the center through a school-specific program or Amazon Student. When buying anything on Amazon, they will select Amazon@Purdue as their shipping address. They’ll receive an email or text message when their item arrives and be able to scan a bar code to pick it up from an employee or a self-service locker.
Amazon has not said which colleges might be next on its list. But the company already has agreements with University of California-Davis and University of Massachusetts-Amherst similar to the one at Purdue, which offers students free one-day shipping on textbooks sent to campus.
Image via iStock.
