Amazon Grocery Pick-Up Signals Digital, Physical FutureAmazon's latest approach to omnichannel: Whole Foods' pick-up option officially makes it a “Buy Online, Pick Up In Store” retailer.

[Collection]Amazon’s new one-hour grocery delivery and pick-up, revealed Monday, means more than just holiday Whole Foods convenience and a desire to push canned hams. Experts say it’s the first solid indication of how the e-commerce giant aims to fuse digital and physical retail. “If there was ever any doubt about Amazon’s omnichannel efforts, this squashes it,” said Charles Dimov, vice president of marketing at OrderDynamics, which provides order management technology for retailers. “Amazon definitely sees the value of combining online and physical stores and this is the proof. It is offering one-hour BOPIS [Buy Online, Pick Up In Store], which is going to compel customers this Christmas season.” Across U.S. retail chains, Dimov’s firm has seen roughly 6 percent growth in in-store pick-ups over the past year. It’s not clear if the Seattle-based e-tailer’s entry will trigger a frenzy, but Dimov believes it could — or rather should. “With Amazon starting to run in-store pick-up promotions, U.S. retail needs to speed up the pace,” he said. “Today, U.S. adoption of in-store pick-up practices stands at only 27.5 percent.” Caroline Klatt, chief executive officer and cofounder of Headliner Labs, a firm that builds customer experiences for brands through chatbots, sees it as a sign of

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