What would be an Amazon-killer for me as a consumer -- and just about the only thing that I can imagine that would be -- is something like Amazon that connected me to the inventory of local merchants where I could buy things for same-day or next-day delivery via something like Doordash. There is a ton of inventory within a 30-60 minute drive of my house (in the Bay Area) but no centralized service to connect me to it, so if I want some glassware and some shower cleaner (my actual current use-case) I have to visit two different merchants, place two different orders, set up two accounts, take twice the risk with my credit card number, etc. A centralized order dispatcher that was connected to local inventory and delivery which would let me order everything I needed all in one place and know that fulfillment would come from local merchants that I can trust to vet their suppliers would kick some serious tushy.
I drive for Amazon flex and they’re beginning to trial orders similar to what you describe.
I don’t have a clue what the interface for ordering is like, but I know there’s a new offer type where I’m expected to pick up orders from one-or-several brick and mortar stores in a single shopping plaza before delivering
Yeah, this doesn't surprise me. Amazon certainly could do this. The problem is one of branding. Amazon is ridiculously convenient but they now have a well-deserved reputation that the quality of the products you get from them is a total crap shoot every time. If there was something like Amazon that I could rely on to deliver quality, I would happily pay extra for that. I think there's a window of opportunity for someone else to step in and become the "Amazon for reliable local quality" in the same way that e.g. NextDoor has become the "Facebook for local interactions". And I hope someone does because Amazon really needs some serious competition.
