Amazon opens first pickup location in Puerto Rico
Many Amazon customers in Puerto Rico can now have their online orders delivered to a pickup hub for retrieval at their convenience.
The location, leased and operated by Ocean Drive Logistics, is positioned in San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico, 20 minutes from the city’s center and 10 minutes from the airport.
Amazon customers in Puerto Rico will continue to have a home delivery option, in addition to this permanent pickup location. If they hit “change” for their delivery option and scroll down, they will see an option for “your pickup location.” Once that option is selected, customers will proceed through the rest of the purchase process as usual. The pickup location is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m Atlantic Standard Time (AST).
According to Amazon, the pickup location will also serve Puerto Rican consumers in the wake of natural disasters.
[Read more: Amazon primes disaster relief hub for wider range of events]
“Aside from the everyday convenience it offers, Puerto Rico has experienced several major hurricanes in recent years, as well as earthquakes that severely disrupted infrastructure,” Amazon said in a corporate blog post. “In the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, home delivery was not possible for many customers, but a temporary pickup location allowed customers to reliably order and receive essential items like diapers and water filters.”
Amazon reduces delivery costs
Amazon has been making efforts to reduce last-mile delivery costs, which can account for half of total shipping costs. In the continental U.S., the new Amazon Hub Delivery program expands its capacity to make fast local deliveries without adding any infrastructure or employees.
In May 2023, the e-tailer began providing a financial incentive for some Prime shoppers to forgo delivery of their orders. Media reports indicated Amazon has been emailing an “unknown number” of Prime members with an offer of $10 to pick up Prime shipping orders worth $25 or more at established pickup locations, such as Kohl’s or Amazon Fresh stores. Amazon declined comment.
Presumably even with the $10 incentive, Amazon will save on last-mile delivery costs through this program.