Dive Brief:
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Amazon is setting up Amazon Lockers at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year. For the two weekends of the event (April 12-14 and April 19-21) customers can ship orders to the lockers at no extra charge, the company said in a press release emailed to Retail Dive.
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To encourage such orders, Amazon has also curated a storefront aimed at festival goers, including essentials like flower crowns and lip balm, tech and camping gear, health and wellness items and fashion.
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The temporary lockers join others in more than 900 U.S. cities and towns, including at Whole Foods stores, apartment buildings and college campuses.
Dive Insight:
Of the many pickup opportunities at Coachella, Amazon’s represents perhaps the most practical, enabling budget-minded attendees to avoid the price-gouging on food and supplies that has become rampant during the event.
It's surprising that it took the e-commerce giant this long to cash in on Coachella, considering how many fashion and food brands have set up shop during the event over the years. Those brands' pop-up shops and trucks cater to a customer base that is essentially captive in the desert, made thirsty by the 100-degree heat and, in some cases, dehydrating activities. While trust fund kids and celebrities can stay cool in swanky digs, most concert goers are left to stock up on granola bars smuggled in crocheted hobo bags and fanny packs.
"Bringing the convenience of Amazon Lockers to Coachella will help customers focus on their experience instead of worrying about forgetting something at home or having to carry it in with them," Amazon Worldwide Director of Lockers and Pickup, Patrick Supanc, said in a statement.
The only question is — will there be enough? Even Coachella ticket-holders on a budget are likely wealthy enough that they or their families are Prime members, making the Amazon locker option a potential game-changer for many.
