Amazon's new 'Instant Pickup' is the perfect convenience store for the antisocial

If you think speaking to your fellow humans is the worst part about going to the local corner store, Amazon might just have a solution.

The retail giant is piloting a new "Instant Pickup" program that provides what's essentially the experience of a convenience store, but without the lines or, you know, human interaction. The new Prime benefit is available now at a handful of the company's pickup lockers near college campuses.

Think of it as an ultra-speedy extension of Amazon's existing Prime delivery service. Prime subscribers near one of the participating locations (the company is starting with locations in Berkeley, California; College Park, Maryland; Columbus, Ohio; Los Angeles, and Boston) can browse items in the Amazon app that are immediately available via "Instant Pickup."  Read more...