In Amazon ’s crusade to fill every corner and cranny of the bang creation with smirking composition board boxes , nowhere is safe .
move over the name ‘ Counter ’ , Amazonannounceda new program today in which it will partner with Rite Aid to essentially turn those retail locations — an estimate 1,500 by class ’s end — into package holding adeptness for thee - commerce titan ’s shipments . Amazon is also looking for other chains to partner with that wo n’t mind moonlighting as storage warehouse .
What ’s a bit baffling about Counter is that it seems no dissimilar from Amazon ’s existing campaign to install Lockers all over creation , where they ’re called “ pickup points . ” In the vicinity of my apartment , locating for Lockers include a Mattress Firm , 7 - 11 , Western Beef , and a Century 21 . Since buying Whole Foods Market just about two days ago , Amazon has stuffed Lockers in a effective number of those locations as well withsome succeeder .
Photo: Spencer Platt (Getty)
Counter also is n’t wildly different from Amazon ’s plan to sell building owner on building Lockers into their multi - occupant hall , which it callsApartment Lockers . It also dovetails with plan to get consumers to install Amazon - branded smarthome products that rick your homegarageor car’strunkinto Lockers .
Perhaps money is changing paw as part of the Counter program , though independent studies have evince that participating in Amazon ’s dodge lead to an increment in sale , but from an outsider ’s position it appears that Amazon is gaining access to space they do not own at the space - possessor ’s expense : Key , Ring , and Apartment Lockers are n’t liberal . It ’s also unclear if main mountain range , like that 7 - 11 , pay the cost of Locker installation , or if Rite Aid will pay its workers for the labor of fetch packet for what are effectively non - customers .
If you have any cognition of the agreements that underpin these arrangements , as always , mail us a tip viaemail , Twitter , Keybase , orSecure Drop .
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