Whole Foods Parking Lots Are Amazon’s Next Frontier

After Amazon bought Whole Foods last year, it began selling the grocer’s private-label 365 products on its site, and the brand quickly became one of the e-commerce giant’s biggest sellers. Now, the cross-marketing is being taken offline: Amazon is hawking its goods in Whole Foods parking lots.

Amazon’s Treasure Truck has been around since 2016, and as Gizmodo notes, parks at random locations and then texts customers who have signed up to get alerts about deals. Shoppers pay for the item online and then visit the truck to pick up the item (such as heavily discounted GoPro cameras, to name one example).

Courtesy Amazon

Now, the truck will visit Whole Foods parking lots across the country, presumably selling things that Whole Foods shoppers might be interested in: The first deal involves cultishly adored cooking appliance the Instant Pot, and shoppers who buy one will also get a coupon for $10 off a $40 purchase at Whole Foods, encouraging further spending. Interested parties can sign up to receive text notifications about Treasure Trucks in their area via Amazon’s site.

Though some post-merger price cuts at Whole Foods have reportedly been short-lived, the Amazon takeover has resulted in some added conveniences for customers who patronize both companies: Prime members can get products from Whole Foods for same-day or one-day shipping, and 365 products are available for two-hour delivery in certain areas. Amazon Lockers are also now stationed in select Whole Foods stores, so customers can pick up their Amazon orders (or return items from a previous order) while doing their grocery shopping. Perhaps Amazon Go technology will soon be installed in Whole Foods stores so shoppers can grab their $9 strawberries and simply walk out.

• Amazon to Provide Offers at Whole Foods Locations Across the U.S. [Press Release]
• Amazon’s New Plan to Sell Stuff at Whole Foods Is to Sell It in Parking Lots [Gizmodo]