According to reports, Amazon intends to enlist local firms to help with last-mile delivery. A variety of small businesses, including apparel retailers, will be included in the project, which is taking place in 23 states.
According to Beryl Tomay, vice president of Amazon Last Mile Delivery and Technology, the initiative will “create opportunities for delivery partners interested in growing a business and supplementing their income.”
The programme, known as Amazon Hub Delivery, which has as its target cities Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York, does not require firms to have prior delivery experience.
The local businesses that will receive shipments from delivery service partners of Amazon must have a safe place to store them.
Local delivery will then be handled by the companies. Outside of significant holidays, the programme mandates that the companies deliver an average of 30 parcels every day, seven days a week. According to the article, Amazon plans to hire 2,500 local drivers before the end of the year.
The launch of the programme comes at a time when rivals Walmart and Amazon have both emphasised the importance of expanding their last-mile delivery networks.
