Amazon is testing a program where its contracted Flex drivers will pick up and deliver packages at malls, Bloomberg first reported. The program, which Bloomberg says Amazon has been running since last year, could help Amazon fulfill orders for same-day or two-day delivery.
“This is just another way to connect Amazon sellers with customers through convenient delivery options,” Amazon spokeswoman Lauren Samaha said in a statement emailed to The Verge. Samaha added that only a handful of vendors participate in the program, but didn’t specify which ones.
It’s also not entirely clear where Amazon is conducting the test. Drivers who spoke to Bloomberg about the program said they picked up packages at malls in Chandler, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada and Tysons Corner, Virginia.
Drivers will go to shopping malls instead of delivery stations
Similar to Instacart or DoorDash drivers, Amazon’s Flex drivers use their own vehicles to deliver packages. They typically pick up packages from Amazon’s delivery stations, but there’s also the option to pick up packages from local stores, which Samaha says has been available for years. Mall delivery works the same way, only drivers go to stores in local malls to pick up packages.
Earlier this month, Vox reported that Amazon was testing a delivery service that pays rural corner shops to deliver packages for the company. In a way, the local businesses are becoming a kind of post office – packages are dropped off 360 days a year, and workers are tasked with delivering them within a 10-mile radius. Amazon has previously relied on the US Postal Service and UPS for the final delivery leg where packages actually reach customers’ doorsteps, but entrusting local stores with this task could alleviate the need to involve either service.
The retail giant is also trying to conquer other shipping services on third-party sites. In April, Amazon began allowing merchants who already stock goods in Amazon’s warehouses the ability to add Buy with Prime buttons to their websites. This allows customers to take advantage of Prime shipping when shopping off of Amazon, and gives Amazon’s growing fulfillment sector even more revenue.