Amazon, the e-commerce giant, has launched a revolutionary program involving small businesses in the United States for package delivery. This move is part of a larger plan to expand its delivery network. According to revealedAmazon Pay for tasks to deliver parcels. Or rather, it will pay and for the moment only in the United States. Let's see the details.
E-commerce giant Amazon launches innovative program for small businesses
The program, known as Hub Delivery, was previously tested in secret in Alabama, Mississippi and Nebraska. Amazon has recruited small local businesses, such as florists and restaurants, to handle deliveries within a 10-mile radius. These businesses needed to be available for deliveries seven days a week and have a physical location for Amazon to deliver the packages daily. Now, the Hub Delivery program has officially launched and Amazon is aiming to collaborate with 2.500 drivers working through these small businesses later this year.
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Secondo Beryl Tomay, Amazon's vice president of last mile delivery and technology, the program offers businesses an opportunity to supplement their incomes and for delivery partners to grow their business. The program does not require long-term contracts. Participating businesses provide their own staff, vehicles and equipment. It is currently active in 23 states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Iowa, Indiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and South Dakota. Amazon is looking to partner not only with businesses in rural communities, but even in densely populated cities such as Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.
Interested small businesses can apply online to become an Amazon Hub partner. The service works in three steps: Amazon delivers packages to businesses daily, businesses staff deliver packages throughout the day, and then they get paid for each completed delivery. Payment is estimated to be approximately $2.50 per delivery, although Amazon hasn't stated the exact amount.
As its delivery presence expands, Amazon aims to reduce its dependence on the postal service, especially in rural areas. In 2020, there were rumors that the company was planning a new service to handle these last mile deliveries in the countryside. Needless to say, we do not know if the Amazon service that pays to deliver packages will also arrive in Italy. But we hope so.
