Amazon is developing a new “rush” pickup service that would let shoppers collect orders at Amazon-owned stores within an hour, according to a Business Insider report.
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The service would allow customers to place a single, “unified” order that combines items from Amazon’s online marketplace with products stocked inside its physical stores. Those locations include Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh grocery stores, and Amazon Go convenience stores.
Amazon plans to pilot the program in at least one major metro area by the first quarter of 2026, according to the report.
The new pickup option is part of Amazon’s broader push to get more orders into customers’ hands in under an hour. Just last week, the company launched Amazon Now, a 30-minute delivery service in parts of Seattle and Philadelphia. Amazon has also been testing fast delivery programs in markets including the UK, India, and Mexico.
Amazon already offers next-day in-store pickup on some U.S. orders, and grocery customers can collect select items in as little as 30 minutes. The “rush” pickup service would go further by blending online and in-store inventory into a single order and tightening the pickup window to about an hour.
The move comes as click-and-collect continues to grow quickly across retail. U.S. click-and-collect sales are expected to reach $112.96 billion this year, up 17% from 2023, according to eMarketer. The firm projects nearly 153 million Americans will use click-and-collect services in 2025.
While Amazon leads U.S. e-commerce by total sales, Walmart holds a strong advantage in pickup and speed. With more than 4,600 U.S. stores, Walmart can reach about 95% of households within three hours and is projected to generate $38.5 billion in click-and-collect sales this year.
According to the internal document, Amazon believes the new service could meet “a key customer need for faster, more convenient access” to its product selection while making better use of its store network.
“By piloting this capability, we can validate customer demand for rapid pickup while learning how to effectively combine our physical and digital offerings,” the document said.
