Amazon will become its own logistical supplier: it will pick up and deliver packages for its own marketplace partners. Supermarket chain Whole Foods’ customers can also get their groceries delivered within two hours from now on.
Shipping With Amazon will replace mail companies
It was only a matter of time, but this year, Amazon will start doing what everyone had anticipated: it will become its own logistical supplier, for its own deliveries and those of its Amazon Market place partners. The online giant will pick up packages at the platform’s retailers with vans and then deliver them at the customer’s doorstep. At first, the Shipping With Amazon service will only be used in Los Angeles, but the Wall Street Journal says other cities will follow later this year. In order for Amazon to enable this, it has an entire fleet of trucks, vans and even fourty transport planes standing by.
Previously, Amazon Marketplace partners could rely on Amazon to store the packages in distribution centers and to process and ship the packages, but the actual delivery was handled by mail companies. With this new move, Jeff Bezos’ company will won an even bigger share of the entire chain and it will also cut out service providers like UPS and FedEx.
Groceries home delivered in two hours
Amazon will also make strides in the grocery delivery industry: the Seattle-based giant wants to roll out its supermarket chain Whole Foods Market’s home delivery service to the entire United States. Prime Now subscribers will get shipments within two hours if they live in certain areas: Austin (Texas), Cincinnati (Ohio), Dallas (Texas) and Virginia Beach. Deliveries are free of charge if the order exceeds 35 dollars, but if customers want it post-haste, then they can get an expedited delivery (within the hour) for an additional 7.99 dollar charge.
Customers can choose from a selected Whole Foods product range, which includes bestsellers according to Amazon. Not only will it contain fresh products, meat, fish and seafood, but also local and daily products. “We are happy to provide our customers with free two-hour shipments through Amazon Prime, granting them access to thousands of organic grocery items and local favourites”, Whole Foods Market CEO and co-founder John Mackey said. “We have already lowered a lot of our products’ prices together and this will facilitate Prime members’ lives even more.”
