Amazon Opens Logistics Network to All Businesses

Amazon.com has begun offering all businesses access to its logistics network, regardless of whether the business sells on the e-commerce giant's marketplace. In a press release, Amazon announced that it was opening its freight, distribution, fulfillment and parcel shipping capabilities to all businesses across all industries, including retail, healthcare and manufacturing.

"We’re confident we can give any other business access to the same cost efficiency, reliability, and speed that we’ve built for Amazon customers," Peter Larsen, vice president of Amazon Supply Chain Services, said in a statement.

Procter & Gamble, Lands' End, and American Eagle Outfitters have all signed up for the services, according to Amazon.

Amazon has over 200 U.S. fulfillment centers, 80,000 trailers, 24,000 intermodal containers and more than 100 aircraft operating as part of its freight and logistics network.

Total Retail's Take: This is yet another signal that Amazon wants to be the dominant force for global commerce. The company took the playbook it used to dominate cloud computing infrastructure with Amazon Web Services and is now duplicating it for freight, supply chain and fulfillment services, effectively positioning itself as another third-party logistics and supply chain partner for the broader business community.

Furthermore, Amazon is extending its fulfillment services beyond retail into areas such as healthcare and automobile because those industries are facing similar pain points — e.g., labor shortages, rising transportation costs, tariff uncertainty.