Amazon opens its first-ever staffed pickup and drop-off center, at Purdue University

Seattle -- Amazon confirmed reports that it is piloting co-branded pickup sites with universities with the announcement that it has opened its first-ever staffed pickup and drop-off on-campus location, at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and plans to open similar sites at the University of California, Davis and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.



The e-commerce giant said that Amazon@Purdue provides Purdue students with a convenient option for receiving textbooks and other college essentials as well as a hassle-free way to return textbook rentals and other orders.



Also, Amazon Student and Amazon Prime members at Purdue can now get free one-day shipping on textbooks shipped to the West Lafayette campus area and are also eligible for free one-day pickup on over one million items when shipped to Amazon@Purdue, which is housed in Purdue’s Krach Leadership Center. A second location will open this spring in the Purdue Memorial Union building.



“We’re excited to open our first-ever staffed pickup location at Purdue, making it more convenient and affordable for students to get everything they need for life on campus,” said Paul Ryder, VP of media and student programs at Amazon. “Whether students are ordering textbooks, laptops, or mac and cheese, Amazon and Purdue are now providing a convenient and secure spot for them to pick up their stuff at hours that work with their schedules. We look forward to bringing this experience to more universities soon.”



If the Amazon pilot is rolled out nationwide, it could very well impact the market share of Barnes & Noble, which operates campus bookstores at many colleges and universities.