Amazon customers can now pick up parcels at Next

Shoppers in the UK will now be able to pick up their Amazon parcels from Next stores.

Launched on Tuesday, the new Amazon service, called "Counter", will be a network of staffed pick-up points that allows customers to collect their parcels in-store at a partner location.

Customers will have access to thousands of Counter locations in the UK and Italy, with more locations and partners coming on board across Europe in the future.

The service works with one-day and standard shipping and is available at no extra cost to Prime members. Counter will be rolled out across partner stores throughout the year, including hundreds of Next stores in the UK and thousands of stores in Italy.

Amazon customers will have a choice of Counter pick-up points once they proceed to checkout and will receive an email notification with a unique barcode when their package has arrived at the store. They will then have 14 days to collect their parcel.

Next chief executive officer Simon Wolfson said: "The ability to collect Amazon parcels from hundreds of Next's UK stores provides a helpful and exciting new service for UK consumers. Amazon Counter combines the internet's power to offer unprecedented choice with all the convenience of local stores. In a tough retail environment our aim is that Amazon Counter will contribute to the continued relevance and vibrancy of our stores."

The Amazon Lockers service, which launched in the UK in 2012, currently has more than 2,500 automated lockers in the UK with partners such as Morrisons, the Co-operative and Transport for London.