Amazon takes another ambitious stride into the fulfilment space

It’s incredible to think that Amazon Logistics, which only launched in 2013, is now the second or third biggest parcel carrier in the UK – daily fulfilling tens of thousands of products sold directly by Amazon, or through its phenomenally successful Fulfilled by Amazon programme.

And Amazon has never been one to settle. This year alone we’ve seen the launch of Amazon Wardrobe (try before you buy), Amazon Counter (a proprietary PUDO network) and Amazon Day (pick a delivery day for all your stuff), amongst a host of other initiatives.

But not content with all that, Amazon have recently announced the launch of Shipping With Amazon (SWA) in the UK. 

Shipping with Amazon is an extension of Amazon’s Seller Fulfilled Prime service, which enables merchants to keep their products in their own warehouse, with Amazon collecting orders to deliver to the end user.

SWA arriving in the UK means that Amazon’s market leading logistics capability will, for the first time, be open to retailers who do not sell on the Amazon site, offering seven-days a week collections and deliveries and extending those deliveries and collections significantly into the evenings. 

And we’ve no doubt that both price and service will present a very compelling proposition to retailers, particularly if all the bells and whistles (read lockers, Prime Wardrobe, Counter, Day etc) are included. 

It’s going to be fascinating to watch the service roll out and to see its impact on both the fulfilment and ecommerce sectors…