But the location inside the U Square at The Loop residential, office and commercial complex at the corner of Calhoun and Market streets — just off campus — isn’t exclusively for UC students.
Anyone who buys on Amazon.com or wants to return an item to the company is welcome at the new store, which will be fully staffed from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, said Deborah Bass, a spokeswoman for the online retailer.
The Calhoun Street store, nestled between Starbucks and Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, will provide free same-day delivery on millions of items as long as the order is placed before noon, Bass said.
Members of Amazon Prime, which costs $99 per year, or Amazon Student can get free same-day delivery on orders placed before noon or free next-day delivery for orders that miss the noon cutoff time.
Bass said students are eligible for a free six-month trial of Amazon Student, which costs $49 per year after the trial period.
“There are a lot of reasons why we chose the University of Cincinnati,” Bass said. “It has a large student population, so it makes sense for us. It (the store) also is centrally located, which makes it a good fit for us.”
Amazon said the store should eliminate many of the unsuccessful delivery attempts, missing packages or mailroom delays common on college campuses, since ensuring delivery to addresses that include scores of apartments can be a challenge.
Customers have the option of picking up items at a service counter inside the store or retrieving them from an Amazon locker within the store. The code to open the locker will be delivered via email or text message, Bass said.
If items are not picked up within five days, they will be returned to Amazon and the customer will receive a refund, Bass said. All items must be purchased through the website, because the store does not carry an inventory.
About the Author