Joanne Rhee

Staff Writer

A new Amazon storefront on 6533 Trigo Road is likely to be a convenient addition to Isla Vista’s oceanfront community. The storefront has lockers to serve as an alternative delivery location for Amazon packages.

The store opened its doors on Wed., Nov. 11. To celebrate the grand opening, employees gave free prizes to those who stopped by. Those who listened to a short two minute demonstration tried their luck at winning prizes ranging from a bicycle, to a tablet, to sunglasses.

Amazon is currently the number one internet based retailer in the United States. With the convenience of buying necessities with a click of a button, it’s no secret that many students also turn to Amazon for textbooks due to the convenience and price point.

Amazon lockers are slightly different from mailboxes and post office boxes. Shoppers can choose an Amazon Locker location in lieu of their mailing address for no additional fee. Once the package is delivered to the location, users will get an email or text message with a unique code. The code is required to open the locker containing the package. The locker may vary each visit. Shoppers have five days to pick up their package until it is returned back to Amazon.

The Amazon store is likely to be a welcomed change to Isla Vista. One fear many students express is having packages stolen when they are delivered. It’s not uncommon for students to be away from their homes when packages are delivered during the day.

Many students living on campus will also have a smoother experience when ordering. Instead of guessing whether a shipment will be fulfilled by USPS or UPS, students can easily send packages to the lockers regardless of the carrier. This new store will allow students to have a more safe and secure experience with receiving shipments from Amazon.

At the Nov. 11 demonstration, visitors were given a detailed briefing on the ordering process. The order process is still the same—choose the Isla Vista Amazon store as the delivery location when making a purchase. When a package is ready to get picked up, the customer will be notified via text and/or email depending on the settings they choose.

Once the package is delivered to the location, customers will have five days to pick up a package before it is sent back. At the store, there is the option to scan a barcode from an email notification or enter in a unique code to open the locker containing the package.

In addition, the store allows for same day delivery for eligible items. Customers who make a purchase on an eligible item before noon may get a notification for pickup later that day. Purchases made later in the day can be anticipated to arrive the following day.

The storefront also allows people to make returns. There is a small area stocked with boxes and packaging materials. There are also stations to print shipping labels for returns — making it a hassle-free experience for customers.

A few other college campuses across the nation have been seeing similar Amazon stores appear near and on campus. Purdue University was the first university to collaborate with Amazon in a new program called Amazon @ Your University. This offered students a more personalized experience with Amazon in addition to the Amazon lockers.

“I can definitely say people have been using the store,” Alexa Kozyrski, a third year at Purdue University, said. “Many students prefer to purchase textbooks from Amazon or another online source because it is so much cheaper than the campus bookstores.”

There are some limitations to the lockers. Any product delivered must be sold or fulfilled by the Amazon website. Each package can also weigh no more than 10 lbs as well as fit within certain dimensions. Also, unlike other locations which are open late, the Amazon store in Isla Vista will only be open 9 AM to 9 PM daily.

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This article has been updated to reflect new information.