German discounter Aldi is starting one-hour deliveries for online orders in the United States, using startup Instacart. Amazon’s reaction was swift: it will test lockers in which custumers can collect items two minutes after ordering them.
Fresh food too
Aldi’s decision to expand its online services more rapidly, is undoubtedly a reaction to Amazon’s Whole Foods acquisition. That move definitely cause a slight panic among several supermarket chains in the United States. With this Instacart collaboration, Aldi is indubitably anticipating Whole Foods and Amazon’s similar plans for the near future. Its service is currently only available in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Dallas, but other cities may soon follow. Customers can also order fresh food, next to the usual dry food and non-food items.
Aldi follows Ahold Delhaize’s example, as that group already has a collaboration with Instacart, which has positioned itself as a “Uber for groceries”. Customers can order online on a supermarket’s web shop with their smartphone and its order will rapidly be delivered at their door step, for a 4 dollar fee. The company currently operates in 1,200 American cities and is valued at 3.4 billion dollars. A former Amazon employee, Apoorva Mehta, founded the company in 2012.
Instant Pickup
On the other hand, Amazon has launched Instant Pickup: which allows customers to pick up smaller orders after two minutes. The service mostly targets impulsive purchases, something the customer really needs right away. When an order is placed, the customer will receive a bar code on their smartphone, which will open a locker containing its order only two minutes later.
