From Business Insider:
"Amazon is significantly expanding its own shipping service that competes with FedEx and UPS.
"Earlier this week, Amazon invited some sellers to use Amazon Shipping, its own in-house delivery service, according to an email invite seen by Insider. The service delivers products sold on Amazon's own marketplace and other sites, including the seller's own or other channels, according to the invite and its official website.
"'Introducing reliable and fast delivery for Amazon selling partners,' the invite said. 'Available for multiple channels — your website, Amazon.com, and more.'
"According to Amazon Shipping's website, the service handles shipments 'within the contiguous United States,' but not international delivery from the US. It's also launched in other countries, including the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and India. Amazon Shipping is available 7-days a week with weekend deliveries at no extra cost, the email invite said."
- KC's View:
-
This has been in the cards for some time. The best way for Amazon to make the delivery infrastructure it has built - at significant expense - economically feasible is to extend its reach.
I've argued here for awhile that Amazon ought to pick off other retailers one by one and offer them exclusive access to its shipping services. Maybe Nordstrom would be interested. Or LLBean. Or REI. Or Sephora. The opportunities would be endless, and if the offer was one they couldn't refuse - providing a differentiated level of efficiency and effectiveness - such partnerships might be game changers. It would take Amazon beyond being just a service provider to being a partner, which also might be an effective counter-argument to FTC antitrust concerns.
