It’s faster than instant delivery. Amazon has started installing app-linked vending machines stocked with everyday essentials and snacks in apartment complexes, where convenience tends to be an overriding concern.

The pilot is being conducted with grocery chain More Retail in select locations in Bengaluru.

Amazon Kiosks’ quiet rollout ties in with the ecommerce giant’s broader strategy of experimenting with various grocery formats, including physical retail (investment in More Retail), marketplace and quick delivery (Amazon Fresh).

It also enables Amazon to create an additional touchpoint with the urban consumer and compete with Tata-backed BigBasket that operates contactless BB Instant machines. Sauce VC-backed Gobbly is among the few startups in the automated retail space.

Three easy steps: Amazon Kiosks, like others in the market, work on the concept of “scan, pick and go”. Undemanding and quick. There’s a QR code on each unit that must be scanned from Amazon’s app.