University Center, the retail center serving UC Irvine students and the adjacent college community, will soon be home to Orange County’s first Amazon storefront.

The 3,150-square-foot brick and mortar space, set to open in early 2018, will have a counter for fetching packages as well as a wall of self-serve Amazon lockers accessed by a security code, said the Irvine Co., which owns the center.

Amazon Prime or Amazon Student Prime subscribers will get the “extra benefit of faster delivery for certain items when placing orders through Amazon’s online store,” the Irvine Co. said.

Some items will be available for free pickup within a day rather than the usual two-day delivery.

The announcement comes as the Irvine Co. has spent the last few years revamping the tenant lineup at the shopping center. The overhaul includes adding modern food concepts such Mendocino Farms, Adya, Eureka, Tender Greens and Stax Cookie Bar.

Amazon on Tuesday debuted Instant Pickup, a service aimed at college students who need basic items fast. A Prime member can order select items online and have it in two minutes, the online retailer said. Amazon is using same-day delivery locations on campuses, including this one at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register)

Amazon has an order online pick up office at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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University Center is under construction again as it plans several new tenant openings, according to the Irvine Co. One of those new tenants is Orange County’s first Amazon storefront. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

University Center is under construction again as it plans several new tenant openings, according to the Irvine Co. One of those new tenants is Orange County’s first Amazon storefront. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)

University Center is under construction again as it plans several new tenant openings, according to the Irvine Co. One of those new tenants is Orange County’s first Amazon storefront. (Nancy Luna, Orange County Register/SCNG)



Over the summer, the University Center added Orange County’s first small-format Target store. The 20,000-square-foot space is part of the retailer’s strategy to create custom shopping experiences in densely populated suburban markets, including college campuses. The Irvine Target has a Starbucks, UCI merchandise, groceries, beauty supplies, grab-and-go foods, and a pharmacy.

The Amazon store is replacing the former Center For Living Peace. The space is under construction near Blaze Pizza and Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Amazon has opened pick-up stores in college communities around the nation including UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Purdue University. In August, Amazon announced plans to introduce Instant Pickup, a free service offering items in minutes. The Irvine Co. said the Irvine storefront will not offer Instant Pickup.

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“We’re honing up our tailored retail approach to University Center’s collegiate community,” Easther Liu, chief marketing officer at Irvine Company Retail Properties, said in a statement. “The storefront also increases Amazon’s visibility among UC Irvine’s vital demographic.”

Amazon at University Center will be at 4139 Campus Drive, Suite A150.