Amazon wants to offer third-party retailers a ‘premium’ service with ‘fast and reliable’ final-mile deliveries through its new UK shipping service, according to senior managers.
That was the clear sales pitch from the world’s biggest e-retailer as it captured widespread attention with a lively presentation and a prominent stand at The Delivery Conference in London on Tuesday (February 4). The one-day event, organised by Metapack, was attended by more than 1,200 participants, including many big retailers.
Amazon Shipping, which launched last October in Europe’s biggest e-commerce market, is targeted at online retailers who do not sell through the company’s online marketplace or who do not use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), which comprises warehousing, distribution and final-mile deliveries.
Andreas Marschner, vice president of Amazon’s EU Transportation Services, told conference participants that the e-commerce giant had seen “an opportunity to serve an unmet need” and to “raise the bar” for shippers with an improved customer experience.
Amazon Shipping was a “premium” service offering “reliability and speed”, with pickup and deliveries on seven days a week, using the company’s in-house delivery network Amazon Logistics, he explained. There is a choice of next-day delivery or standard delivery.
Ines van Gennip, head of Amazon Shipping UK, explained that the e-commerce giant wanted to “tap into demand for a premium service”, noting that delivery played a key role in customer purchase decisions, conversion rates and loyalty for repeat purchases. Moreover, fast delivery “is incredibly important and a top priority for customers”, she pointed out.
Amazon Shipping would offer five key differentiators compared to other delivery services, she claimed. These would be speed and quality; transparent “easy to understand” rates; the recipient experience; technology-based innovation; and customer obsession.
According to the Amazon Shipping website, the company is currently offering “introductory rates guaranteed for one year”. It is already working with various order and carrier management systems, including Veeqo, Linnworks, ShipStation, ChannelAdvisor, Despatch Cloud, Mintsoft and Scurri.
Van Gennip, who was previously responsible for Amazon Business in the UK, also announced that the shipping service would be integrated into Metapack’s delivery platform “very soon”.
