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Amazon launches Key In-Garage Grocery Delivery service

Third Amazon Fresh supermarket opens in Northridge, Calif.

Russell Redman

November 12, 2020

4 Min Read
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Amazon Key In-Garage Grocery Delivery is now available in parts of Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle and is slated to expand to more cities.Amazon

Amazon is expanding its contactless Key In-Garage Delivery service to more than 4,000 U.S. cities and adding grocery to the mix.

The e-tail giant said Thursday that Amazon Key In-Garage Grocery Delivery has launched in selected areas of Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Through the new service, Prime members can opt to have their Whole Foods Market or Amazon Fresh online grocery delivery orders placed inside their garage. Plans call for the program to expanded to other cities.

First launched in 50 cities in April 2019, Key In-Garage Delivery enables Prime members with a Chamberlain Group myQ smart garage door opener to receive packages in their garage. After linking their myQ app with Key, customers click on “Free In-Garage Delivery” at checkout on Amazon.com. Packages are brought by a delivery service professional, and customers can use the Key by Amazon app or Amazon mobile shopping app to get an alert when their package is delivered. The also can view videos of the delivery by using a compatible Ring smart home camera with their Ring Protect Plan or a LiftMaster Smart Garage Camera powered by myQ with a myQ Video Storage Subscription, Amazon said.

New cities where Prime members can use Key In-Garage Delivery include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Houston, Boston, Atlanta, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., as well as metropolitan communities such as Astoria, N.Y.; Valencia, Calif.; Oswego, Ill.; Elverson, Pa.; Farmersville and Magnolia, Texas; Frederick, Md.; Salisbury, Mass.; Peachtree City, Ga.; and Casa Grande, Ariz.

Related:Whole Foods Market launches free grocery pickup at all stores

For a limited time, new Key by Amazon customers can get $30 in Amazon credits after their first in-garage delivery, the Seattle-based company said.

“Customers tell us they appreciate the convenience and peace of mind that in-garage delivery offers, and we’re happy to expand the service to thousands of additional cities,” Pete Gerstberger, head of Key by Amazon at Amazon, said in a statement. “With this latest expansion, Amazon customers in thousands of big cities and small towns across the U.S. can now enjoy another Prime benefit with convenient, contactless deliveries right in their garage, all backed by the Key by Amazon Happiness Guarantee.”

Also on Thursday, Amazon opened its third Amazon Fresh supermarket, in Northridge, Calif.

The 30,000-square-foot store, at 19340 Rinaldi St. in Northridge, is the smallest of the Amazon Fresh locations opened thus far. The first, a 35,000-square-foot store in Woodland Hills, Calif., opened in mid-September, followed by a 40,000-square-foot location in Irvine, Calif., in late October.

Related:Second Amazon Fresh supermarket opens its doors

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Fresh-made pizza is among the prepared foods offerings at the first three Amazon Fresh stores, located in Northridge, Irvine and Woodland Hills, Calif.

Like the first two stores, the Northridge Amazon Fresh offers an assortment of national, private and regional brands — including Amazon own brands, such as Fresh, Cursive and 365 by Whole Foods Market — plus fresh produce, meat and seafood, along with an array of prepared foods made fresh in the store daily. Local and regional brands include American Golden Nuts, CAULIPOWER pizza, Rockenwagner Bakery, Groundwork Coffee, Duke’s Mayo, Ellenos Yogurt and Boston Chowda.

The new store also emphasizes low pricing, including everyday-low-price items such as bananas, rotisserie chicken, and fresh-baked bread and pizza slices, as well as grand-opening deals on such national brands as Coca-Cola soda, Frito-Lay chips, Butterball frozen turkey and Nature’s Own brioche butter rolls.

Amenities include the Amazon Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that helps customers find products, track purchases and expedite checkout; an in-store station with Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant, which can help customers manage shopping lists and navigate the store’s aisles; and same-day grocery delivery and pickup.

The Northridge, Irvine and Woodland Hills stores are among eight Amazon Fresh locations disclosed by Amazon. In late October, before the Irvine Amazon Fresh opened to the public, Amazon said it began hiring for four Amazon Fresh stores in the Chicago area: Naperville, Bloomingdale, Oak Lawn and Schaumburg, Ill. The company also previously confirmed an upcoming Amazon Fresh opening in North Hollywood, Calif. In addition, Amazon acquired two Fairway Market store leases in Paramus and Woodland Park, N.J., in March but hasn’t disclosed plans for the locations.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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