Blip: Amazon Pantry said to deliver grocery goods in 2014

First drones, now groceries. There is no end to Amazon's it's-so-crazy-it-may-just-work thinking, which may also turn us into a society of shut-ins.

USA Today has word from in the know sources that Amazon is prepping a service called Pantry to sell and deliver items usually found in grocery stores.

Due to launch in 2014, customers will be able to fill set sized boxes with items like kitchen paper rolls, pet food, dry items and beverages. They can load the box as much as they can up to a certain weight limit, and as long as the box doesn't tip the scale too far, Amazon will ship it for a small fee.

The service is aimed at Amazon Prime customers and is said to put warehouse club stores like Costco in its sights. Pantry will start with 2,000 items and it sounds like it's all systems go from here on out.

More blips!

"Clean up, aisle 7. We have a blip spill. I repeat, we have a blip spill."

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Amazon in talks to turn Tube ticket offices into post offices

London's soon to be vacant Underground ticket offices could be used as Amazon parcel pick up points if talks between the retailer and TFL go to plan.

London was awash with glee and gloom yesterday when it emerged that some tube lines will run 24-hours at weekends, but that every underground station ticket office would also close leading to lost jobs.

The FT reports that Amazon wants to use the counters to dish out packages that commuters could pick up on their ways home.

Mind the gap

While that might seem a harebrained scheme at first, it becomes less odd once you remember that Amazon already has unconventional drop-off points, like lockers in shopping centres and your local corner shop.

London Underground's plans aren't going to come into effect until at least 2015 so don't expect to be picking up your shopping from Shepherd's Bush or birthday presents from Bank until then.

• Speaking of shopping: here are out top Christmas gift ideas for 2013