Amazon air cargo could be a step too far, if it can’t ensure fulfilment on the ground

An opinion piece on how Amazon’s move into air freight could distract it from ensuring consistent fulfilment quality. The writer notes that 45% of Amazon’s sellers do not use its Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) delivery service, and Amazon therefore has little control on the quality of delivery or last-mile services.

“Amazon may, therefore, be overlooking the weakest link in the chain, the fulfilment capabilities of the many sellers not using FBA and who are totally reliant on the fulfilment abilities of their own warehouses. These, albeit unwittingly, could make or break Amazon’s reputation in its quest for universal same-time anywhere deliveries.”

The article goes on to look at warehouse processes, which we don’t necessarily recommend you read – but the first 10 paragraphs or so are quite interesting.