Amazon launches Key In-Garage Grocery Delivery service

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

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.