SEATTLE — In response to growing demand for curbside pickup services, Amazon unveiled its newest perk for Prime members on Wednesday: free, one-hour grocery pickup at all Whole Foods stores in the United States.

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The move expands curbside grocery pickup to all 487 of the upscale grocer’s U.S. locations, more than tripling the service offered at 150 select stores during the height of the novel coronavirus pandemic in April, CNBC reported.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online grocery services and prompted new customers to try services like grocery pickup, it’s clear that this offering will become a more permanent solution for many customers,” Amazon wrote in a corporate blog post.

Amazon’s newest service only applies to orders over $35, and Prime members can access it by either opening the Amazon app or going online to the Whole Foods Market tab. Shoppers then select the one-hour pickup window at checkout, Fox Business reported.

Both curbside and in-store pickup options were already gaining popularity prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, with rivals, Walmart and Target, both aggressively expanding the services in recent years, while Whole Foods focused more intently on grocery delivery, CNBC reported.

“Amazon is late to the game,” Steve Caine, a retail expert and partner at Bain & Co. told the network. “They’re really trying to catch up here with those who have been at this for a while.”

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Cox Media Group