for Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh delivery secures delivery slots the moment they become available and then completes the entire checkout process for the user as well.
The developer of the latter bot, data scientist Pooja Ahuja, told Vice that she decided to create her product when she saw her elderly friends and family members having a tough time ordering groceries online during this period of such high demand. "I designed the bot for those who find it extremely inconvenient in these times to step out, or find it not safe for themselves to be outside. It is my contribution to help flatten the curve, I really hope this'll help reduce the number of people going out," Ahuja told Vice.
An Amazon spokesperson told Business Insider that the company will be releasing a queueing feature to give customers a virtual place in a delivery line to make the process more equitable for all shoppers. "Our primary focus is increasing delivery availability every day so that we can serve more people," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. "To do this, we've rapidly expanded grocery pickup, increased hiring, transitioned select stores to exclusively fulfill delivery orders, and more.", where they are generally considered controversial pieces of technology.