Report: Amazon to Roll Out UPS-Like Delivery Service

Amazon already knows a thing or two about getting packages from point A to point B in a timely fashion. Now, word has it the online retail giant is gearing up to expand its shipping efforts with a new service for businesses similar to UPS or FedEx.

The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed people "familiar with the matter" on Friday reported that Amazon will begin "picking up packages from businesses and shipping them to consumers."

The news isn't too big of a surprise; in October, word spread that Amazon was quietly testing a shipping service dubbed Seller Flex on the West Coast. Now, the Journal says the service will simply be called "Shipping with Amazon" and is slated to launch in Los Angeles "in the coming weeks."

"We're always innovating and experimenting on behalf of customers and the businesses that sell and grow on Amazon to create faster lower-cost delivery choices," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to PCMag.

The company plans to pilot the new service with third-party merchants that sell things on its site, the report notes. After that, the idea is to expand it to more cities and businesses.

"Amazon is planning to undercut UPS and FedEx on pricing, although the exact rate structure is still unclear," the Journal reported. "For shipments outside Amazon's delivery reach, the U.S. Postal Service and other carriers will take care of the so-called last mile to customers' doorsteps."

Amazon already has extensive experience in the shipping world. As part of its super-speedy Prime Now service, which debuted in 2014, Amazon currently delivers goods, sometimes within an hour, in several dozen cities across the US. The company also recently launched an in-home delivery service for Prime members, dubbed Amazon Key.

Meanwhile, news of Amazon's expanded shipping ambitions comes after the company just yesterday launched two hour Whole Foods deliveries for Prime members. At this point, the new Prime perk is only available in Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas, and Virginia Beach, but Amazon and Whole Foods plan to expand this feature "across the US in 2018."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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