Amazon and Walmart have developed last-mile delivery solutions to make shopping more convenient for consumers. Amazon will buy 20,000 Mercedes-Benz vans to support its Delivery Service Partner program. The vans will deliver everything the retailer offers, including groceries from Whole Foods Market, and meals from local restaurants.
The delivery program is recruiting small business owners who will work with third-party fleet management companies to lease customized vans as well as specialized leases to keep startup costs low as part of the retailer’s aim to assert more control over how its packages get from its warehouses to customers. One goal is to lessen Amazon’s reliance on outside transportation vendors, such as UPS, Fedex and the U.S. Postal Service.
Read the article at The Food Institute.
