(Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. is about to see whether shoppers wary of contact with package delivery drivers would rather let them into the garage instead.
The world's largest online retailer said in a statement Thursday that it was expanding an in-garage delivery program for Prime subscribers to some 4,000 U.S. cities, up from 50 previously.
Amazon launched Amazon Key in late 2017, offering to deliver packages inside the homes of shoppers with smart front door locks by equipping delivery drivers with a one-time code to place packages just inside. The company touted the service as a convenient way to limit theft and launched a companion indoor camera to reassure shoppers. But the offer drew mixed reviews, and Amazon has since shifted the focus to garages, as well as car trunks, a service that was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shoppers need to have the myQ garage door opener control app. Amazon said Thursday it would also start delivering groceries from Whole Foods Market or Amazon Fresh inside customers' garages. That service will go live first in select areas of Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle, with more cities planned, the company said.
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