Amazon Products Now Available for Pick-up at 7-11?

Amazon has been a smart company for many years but are they starting to become the “genius” company?  Everyone has seen one, everyone has been to one, everyone knows about one, but wouldn’t you want to go to a 7-11 and get more than just a bag of chips and a Double Big Gulp?

Now you can possibly pick up a pair of shoes to a table lamp to even the mysterious upcoming Amazon tablet all in one trip to your 7-11.  This sounds like something out of the ordinary and that’s because it is!  The photo you see about is Amazon “setting shop” in Seattle.  (Credit cnet)

Amazon’s first lockers for merchandise pickup are apparently set to go online in a Seattle 7-11 later this week.  The big system looks like an oversized ATM or a wall of post office boxes from the future.  According to our resources, the system will work almost identical to the in-store pickup option offered by other retailers including Best Buy and Target.

According to a source with knowledge of the project, the idea is simple:  these nondescript boxes will be in 7-Eleven stores across the country and act as a sort of P.O. box for Amazon purchases.  Once a customer makes a buy on Amazon’s website he can select a 7-Eleven close to work, or on the way home and have the package dropped off there.

Amazon has had a system like this for years in Japan.  If it is a success here in the US then we could see a national rollout next summer.  According to an employee who spilled the beans , thanks to John Cook from Geekwire, the machine is set to be activated on Friday.

If you are in the Seattle area and are a frequent user of Amazon, are you happy for these to be hitting the streets?  Do you actually think they would be safe and no threatened by thieves?  Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

[via TechJohnson]