It's getting pretty hard to shop at Whole Foods without an Amazon Prime membership.
The Amazon-owned grocery chain is adding curbside pickup for members of its $119/year membership. Customers can shop Whole Foods' selection in the Prime Now app or website, and they can have their groceries ready for pickup in just a half hour.
Curbside pickup is launching in Sacramento and Virginia Beach today with more cities to come throughout 2018, Amazon announced Wednesday. There's a $4.99 fee if you want the groceries ready in a half hour, but it's free if shoppers can wait an hour or longer for their stuff. Whole Foods will reserve parking spots for curbside pickup customers.
Amazon is also integrating Alexa into the shopping experience. Customers can add food to their Whole Foods' order (i.e. "Alexa, add steak to my Whole Foods cart.") and have it included in their pickup order.
Curbside pickup is Whole Foods' latest Prime perk. Since Amazon's $13.7 billion acquisition last year, Whole Foods shoppers are being offered a growing list of Prime benefits including discounts and delivery. Its rivals, including Kroger and Target, already offer curbside pickup.
