Amazon officially halted its “treasure truck” deal program, ending its initiative to pick up directly from quirky vehicles in various cities in 2016.
By 2019, Amazon had over 100 truck fleets in 29 U.S. cities. However, in August 2020, he said the COVID-19 pandemic forced the company to switch to shipping Treasure Truck purchases directly to customers.
This version of the program runs through Tuesday, with Amazon announcing that the $19.99 offer of “Funko Schitt’s Creek Party Game” will be the last daily deal under the Treasure Truck banner.
Customers were warned of such deals by text message, and in the heyday of moving trucks, they could reserve items on Amazon’s mobile app and go to the location to make the purchase. is complete.
But without the tracking aspect, the program would have become redundant to other ways Amazon advertises its daily deals.
“The Treasure Truck was a unique way to bring exciting deals directly to our customers’ neighborhoods,” Amazon spokesperson Betsy Harden told GeekWire. “As we moved these deals online in 2020, customer feedback has been great. Amazon.com will continue to bring new deals to our customers every day.”
Axios first reported the news on Tuesday.
On the program’s FAQ page, Amazon says it has no intention of removing the track.
“You may find our amazing fleets zipping through cities, offering a helping hand to support local communities. We have tens of thousands of lunch kits, thousands of We helped deliver student laptops, books, and are now helping distribute millions of masks in our hometowns.
GeekWire first spotted the Treasure Truck in Seattle in June 2016. The first official deal was a $99 inflatable paddleboard.
“We wanted to invent a whole new way for our customers to shop on Amazon. A really fun new way for them to interact with us.
Over the years, trucks have been in the news for a variety of reasons.
- In July 2016, Amazon tapped into its book-selling roots with a midnight release of new Harry Potter books via trucks to massive audiences.
- Former Seattle Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch got behind the wheel of a truck in December 2016, signed autographs, and sold a Beast Mode-skinned Amazon Echo.
- In 2017, Amazon received a design patent for a fancy vehicle.
- Treasure Truck traveled 1,116 miles in 17 hours from Seattle to Las Vegas for the January 2017 Consumer Electronics Show.
As of 2019, the top-selling cities for truck deals were Seattle, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, according to Amazon. The most frequent customers, often buying trucks more than once a week, were in Chicago, Texas, San Antonio, and Sacramento, California.
Within minutes, the best-selling items were Valentine’s Day bouquets and chocolates, Sony TVs and smart notebooks.
Amazon said employees who supported the Treasure Truck program will be transferred to other roles within the company.
