Amazon’s Treasure Truck gears up for a national expansion

Amazon is packing up its fleet of funky delivery trucks and hitting the road.



The online giant’s “Treasure Trucks” — a vehicle where shoppers can pick up selected discounted merchandise they purchased online — is expanding its breadth beyond Seattle. The company is sending out a fleet of trucks that will “crisscross the country” with a selection of new, trending or local items, according to Amazon.



To take advantage of the flash sale on wheels, shoppers can sign up for text notifications through Amazon’s app. The online giant will hand-pick one “must-have” item each day, and notify customers about the daily deal via text. Then customers can buy the item via the Amazon app, and pick it up when the truck arrives.



Featured merchandise will run the gamut. Among the highlighted categories will be new releases of books, video games and electronics, steaks, seafood, outdoor gear and toys, among other merchandise, Amazon said.



This will be the Treasure Trucks’ first excursion outside of the Seattle area since it was introduced in February 2016. The online giant didn’t share specific cities where the truck will visit, however, the retailer is expected to send a fleet of vehicles to more than a couple dozen cities across the U.S, where it will exist as a permanent installation, according to TechCrunch.



This is Amazon’s latest move at crossing over into the physical retailing space. In addition to adding more locations to its chain of brick-and-mortar bookstores, the online giant also has its AmazonFresh pickup stations, and cashier-free Amazon Go convenience stores operating in Seattle.



Most recently, the company announced in June that it will buy Whole Foods Markets for a whopping $13.7 billion — extending its physical presence even further.