Amazon same-day delivery: How the e-commerce giant will destroy local retail.
Amazon’s New Push for Same-Day Delivery Will Destroy Local Retail
Amazon’s New Push for Same-Day Delivery Will Destroy Local Retail
Amazon logistical center
Photograph by Jens-Ulrich Koch/AFP/Getty Images.
Amazon has long enjoyed an unbeatable price advantage over its physical rivals. When I buy a $1,000 laptop from Wal-Mart, the company is required to collect local sales tax from me, so I pay almost $1,100 at checkout. In most states, Amazon is exempt from that rule. According to a , only firms with a physical presence in a state are required to collect taxes from residents. Technically, when I buy a $1,000 laptop from Amazon, I&m supposed to pay a $100 && when I file my annual return with my home state of California. But nobody does that. For most people, then, most items at
than the same, identically priced items at other stores.
In response to pressure from local businesses, many states have passed laws that aim to force Amazon to collect sales taxes (the laws do so by broadening what it means for a company to have a physical presence in the state). Amazon hasn&t taken kindly to these efforts. It has filed numerous legal challenges, and fired all of its marketing affiliates in , , , and . It also launched a
to get voters to turn back the California law. And when Texas& comptroller presented Amazon with a $269 million sales tax bill last year, the company .
But suddenly, Amazon has stopped fighting the sales-tax war. Last fall it dropped its repeal campaign in California and instead signed a deal with lawmakers to . That was followed by several more tax deals&over the course of the next couple years, Amazon will begin collecting sales tax from residents of , , , , , and on July 1, it began . It also
from residents of Kansas, Kentucky, New York, North Dakota, and its home state of Washington. After all the tax deals go into effect, the company will be collecting taxes from the majority of its American customers.
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Why would Amazon give up its precious tax advantage? This week, as part of an excellent investigative series on the firm, the Financial Times& Barney Jopson
that Amazon&s tax capitulation is part of a major shift in the company&s operations. Amazon&s grand strategy has been to set up distribution centers in faraway, low-cost states and then ship stuff to people in more populous, high-cost states. When I order stuff from Amazon, for instance, it gets shipped to California from one of the company&s massive warehouses in
But now Amazon has a new game. Now that it has agreed to collect sales taxes, the company can legally set up warehouses right inside some of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation. Why would it want to do that? Because Amazon&s new goal is to get stuff to you immediately&as soon as a few hours after you hit Buy. (Disclosure: Slate participates in , an "affiliate" advertising plan that rewards websites for sending customers to the online store. This means that if you click on an Amazon link from Slate&including a link in this story&and you end up buying something, Amazon will send Slate
of your final purchase price.)
It&s hard to overstate how thoroughly this move will shake up the retail industry. Same-day delivery has long been the holy grail of Internet retailers, something that dozens of startups have tried and failed to accomplish. (?) But Amazon is investing billions to make next-day delivery standard, and same-day delivery an option for lots of customers. If it can pull that off, the company will permanently alter how we shop. To put it more bluntly: Physical retailers will be hosed.
Can Amazon pull it off? It&s sure spending a lot of money to try, and it has already come up with a few creative ways to speed up deliveries. In each of the deals it has signed with states, the company has promised to build at least one&and sometimes many&new local warehouses. Some of these facilities are very close to huge swaths of the population. Amazon is
in new facilities in New Jersey that will bring it into the backyard of New York C
that will allow it to service much of the mid-A
in T and more than
to serve the middle of the country. Its plans for California are the grandest of all. This year, Amazon will open two huge distribution centers near Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, and over the next three years it might open . In total, Amazon will spend
at its new California warehouses.
But Amazon isn&t simply opening up a lot of new shipping centers. It&s also investing in making those centers much more efficient. Earlier this year, it , a company that makes
that improve shipping times while reducing errors. Another effort will allow the company to get stuff to you even faster. In Seattle, New York, and the United Kingdom, the firm has set up
in drug stores and convenience stores. If you order something from Amazon and you work near one of these lockers, the company will offer to drop off your item there. On your way home from work, you can just stop by Rite Aid, .
All these efforts seem to be paying off. I&m a frequent Amazon shopper, and over the last few months I&ve noticed a significant improvement in its shipping times. As a subscriber to
subscription service, I&m used to getting two-day shipping on most items for free. But on about a third of my purchases, my package arrives after just one day for no extra charge. Sometimes the service is so speedy it seems almost magical. One Friday afternoon last month, I ordered three smoke alarms, and I debated paying extra for shipping so that I could install them over the weekend. The $9 per item that Amazon charges for Saturday delivery seemed too steep, though, so I went with standard two-day service. The next morning, the delivery guy arrived with my smoke detectors. I&d gotten next-day Saturday service for free. I have no idea how Amazon made any money on my order (the whole bill was less than $30) but several people on Twitter told me that they&ve experienced similarly delightful service.
If Amazon can send me stuff overnight for free without a distribution center nearby, it&s not hard to guess what it can do once it has lots of warehouses within driving distance of my house. Instead of surprising me by getting something to me the next day, I suspect that, over the next few years, next-day service will become its default shipping method on most of its items. Meanwhile it will offer same-day service as a cheap upgrade. For $5 extra, you can have that laptop waiting for you when you get home from work. Wouldn&t you take that deal?
I bet you would. Physical retailers have long argued that once Amazon plays fairly on taxes, the company wouldn&t look like such a great deal to most consumers. If prices were equal, you&d always go with the &instant gratification& of shopping in the real world. The trouble with that argument is that shopping offline isn&t really &instant&&it takes time to get in the car, go to the store, find what you want, stand in line, and drive back home. Getting something shipped to your house offers gratification that&s even more instant: Order something in the morning and get it later in the day, without doing anything else. Why would you ever shop anywhere else?
Farhad Manjoo is a technology columnist for the New York Times and the author of .1. 目前只在Baltimore, Dallas,Indianapolis, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington DC metro areas提供2. Prime Member 需要额外付 5.99 美元/单。他们是通过 Fedex 和 UPS 这类第三方来达到的吗，还是自营物流？
京东的次日达我已经很满足了
目前在北美洛杉矶地区亚马逊物流任职，这个关于美亚same day的问题应该算是本人最对口的领域了。&br&目前有全美14个大城区提供same day，包括San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle/Tacoma 等等。&br&首先最大的功劳绝对不是因为物流final mile送货速度快。在所有物流工序里其实最没有技术含量的就是送货了。举例，如果在24小时以后Amazon才发货给送货的same day包裹，送货的还有可能当日送达？答案当然是没可能，包裹已经delay了。&br&因果关系，能做到same day完全是因为发货快，所以快递才有机会把包裹在规定时间内送达。&br&目前个人订单纪录的一个same day order数据是一小时十三分神发货速度（当你收到亚马逊邮件或者短信通知你“your order is shipped”），但可惜手上没有平均数据，反正一个字就是快，快到可以same day deliver。举个简单的例子，比如你在&a href=&///?target=http%3A//& class=& external& target=&_blank& rel=&nofollow noreferrer&&&span class=&invisible&&http://&/span&&span class=&visible&&&/span&&span class=&invisible&&&/span&&i class=&icon-external&&&/i&&/a&下单后，你会发现仅仅发货他们就可能用了24小时，有时候几天，甚至订单何时到手都不能给你准确的日期。&br&当你same-day delivery的shipping option在Amazon下单时被选上后，离你下单地区最近持有你要购买物品的Amazon fulfillment center（FC），全年无休24小时运营。他们即时收到你的shipping option，一套行云流水般顺畅的流程就开始了。&br&所有物品（包括你的订单）在进入FC的时候会被称重，打码，照相，存入资料库。放货员（stower）会通过亚马逊软件系统随机把物品放在货架上。拣包员（picker）或者亚马逊明星机器人Kiva利用技术在有着两千多万不同种类商品的货架上找出你的订单物品并扫描，然后会在流水线上被打包（packer）。接下来就是最有技术含量的工序了，包裹被标贴（slaming)，这是一个机械全自动的流程，SLAM机器会通过扫描包裹的精确重量获取你订单信息，计算后而贴上你包裹的标签，包含你的包裹优先程度以及使用哪家物流是最优成本，这道工序是在一眨眼完成的。随后你的包裹会被智能分配到发货区，由装货员（shipdog）把所有发往你所在地区的包裹装上当天第三方物流（3pl）的大卡车。此时此刻你网上查询包裹信息的状态是“package depart FC”，然而这一车离开FC的包裹还没有根据邮编和快递线路分类的，下一步是被送往物流中心分类（sort），划分线路（routing）。&br&下面隆重介绍， 亚马逊物流 AMZL。&br&由于美国第三方物流，Fedex，UPS etc., 无法满足亚马逊庞大的客户需求，尤其是感恩节到圣诞节间的订单（peak），亚马逊自己的命运自己掌握，AMZL诞生了。&br&假如你的same day order跟着3pl大卡车来到了我的物流中心（DS），也是全年无休24小时运营（目前刚起步，每天只接受定量的包裹），会在四小时内把你包裹的状态从“between FC and delivery station” 变成“out for delivery”。 这中间经历了智能分配包裹线路，接收员（receiver）把你的包裹状态变为“at station”，分拣员（sorter）和质检员（pre-depart）合力把状态变为“ready for departure”，快递员（DA）来领包裹的时候统一把今天所有送出去的订单状态改为“out for delivery”，最后便是你在家里开心收到包裹。&br&现在个别地区甚至有Amazon Prime Now，一到两小时就能收到包裹（仅限小部分选项商品），西雅图地区前一阵子发布的一小时内送酒。&br&目前面临的最大的挑战那就是人手不够，在北美这种劳动力稀缺的地方，找到长期稳定素质良好的基层员工真是难！&br&总而言之，在美国这样人力成本极高国家&a href=&///?target=http%3A//& class=& external& target=&_blank& rel=&nofollow noreferrer&&&span class=&invisible&&http://&/span&&span class=&visible&&&/span&&span class=&invisible&&&/span&&i class=&icon-external&&&/i&&/a&能做到same day免运费或者低价shipping，背后的技术含量以及服务客户的标准是很高的。
目前在北美洛杉矶地区亚马逊物流任职，这个关于美亚same day的问题应该算是本人最对口的领域了。 目前有全美14个大城区提供same day，包括San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston and Seattle/Tacoma 等等。 首先最大的功劳绝对不是因为物流fin…
亚特兰大这里也有啊. 就冲这个题我多付了6块钱Shipping。晚上来更新&img src=&/cfaa56ce85a_b.jpg& data-rawwidth=&399& data-rawheight=&189& class=&content_image& width=&399&&----------------------------------------------------------------------------------&br&&br&所以, 果然当天, 我的包裹到了. &br&&img data-rawheight=&554& data-rawwidth=&719& src=&/427e2cdb1966baeffb6e18de7fc5e3cc_b.jpg& class=&origin_image zh-lightbox-thumb& width=&719& data-original=&/427e2cdb1966baeffb6e18de7fc5e3cc_r.jpg&&&br&运送的是这个叫Lasership的公司, 看他们的官网&b&&a class=& wrap external& href=&///?target=http%3A///shipping-solutions/same-day& target=&_blank& rel=&nofollow noreferrer&&LaserShip, Last Mile Delivery!&i class=&icon-external&&&/i&&/a&&/b& 可以看到他们覆盖整个东海岸的主要城市, 所以Amazon的same day service在东海岸应该就是他们全部来运送. 西海岸就不知道了. &br&&br&看他们官网他们自己本身就提供当天运送服务, 所以对于Amazon来说只需要在LaserShip给的时间前把货给他们就是了. &br&&br&我的包裹上写了包裹是从Kentucky寄出来的..从上图的Shipment Process可以看到一些时间点.&br&&br&我大概11点下的单, &br&2:39pm运输公司在Lexington, Kentucky收到包裹&br&4:59pm到Marietta(Atlanta周边)&br&&br&Lexington和Atlanta之间360英里, 在2个半小时内从facility到facility还是挺屌的. &br&&br&所以我觉得其实不是Amazon屌(花三个小时才把货给人家), 而是送货的屌.
亚特兰大这里也有啊. 就冲这个题我多付了6块钱Shipping。晚上来更新---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 所以, 果然当天, 我的包裹到了. 运送的是这个叫Lasership的公司, 看他们的官网
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EditionInternationalArabicEspa?olInternationalArabicEspa?olChat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.Amazon hopes that speed and convenience will be more important to consumers than lack of sales tax. Amazon to build new distribution centers in areas that collect sales taxFinancial Times reports the move is so it can provide same-day serviceThe move could put the squeeze on local retailersOne of Amazon's biggest advantages over local stores and mega-chains like Walmart is its lack of sales tax in most states. People can hop in a car and go buy a product from a loc or they can pay less, make the purchase quickly from a computer or smartphone and wait for the product to be shipped to their doorstep as soon as the next morning.Amazon has fought hard to avoid collecting sales tax during its 18-year history by setting up distribution centers in select tax-friendly states. But a new report in the Financial Times says the company is changing its strategy, setting up distribution centers across the United States in locations that insist on collecting sales tax.Why would the company want to give up its price advantage? A spokeswoman for Amazon wouldn't comment on the report when contacted by CNN. But the Financial Times thinks it's so it can start making same-day deliveries. Additional distribution centers in more locations will put the goods in closer proximity to customers, allowing Amazon delivery to go from overnight to later that same afternoon. This could be a boon for last-minute gift shoppers or anyone craving instant-gratification retail therapy.MUST WATCH 02:55The company is taking a gamble on speed and convenience being more important to its consumers than the lack of sales tax. In a Citigroup survey earlier this year, 52% of Amazon shoppers not paying sales tax said they would be less likely to buy goods on the site if they had to pay that additional amount.However,
thinks the move would take a bite out of local retail: "It's hard to overstate how thoroughly this move will shake up the retail industry. Same-day delivery has long been the holy grail of Internet retailers, something that dozens of startups have tried and failed to accomplish. (?) "But Amazon is investing billions to make next-day delivery standard and same-day delivery an option for lots of customers. If it can pull that off, the company will permanently alter how we shop. To put it more bluntly: Physical retailers will be hosed."It's unclear how the logistics of a same-day business model would work. Currently, the fastest delivery options from the major shipping services -- FedEx, UPS and USPS -- are next day. But Amazon has already been using local courier services capable of same-day delivery. Given how much work Amazon regularly throws their way, FedEx and UPS could possibly work with the company on new shipping options. A battle has been brewing for years between Amazon and the various states attempting to collect sales tax. The states are often under pressure from local merchants and big box retail giants who see the lack of tax as an unfair advantage for Amazon. Companies that sell goods online are typically only required to collect sales tax in states where they have a physical presence. Amazon currently collects sales tax in six states: Washington, North Dakota, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky and New York. But Amazon's new plans mean the company will begin collecting sales tax in ten additional states over the next four years, starting with Pennsylvania and California this September. Would same-day delivery be worth the cost of sales tax for you?Same Day Delivery
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