In recent weeks, speculation has mounted that Amazon.com Inc. [stckqut]AMZN[/stckqut] plans to launch a global shipping and logistics operation that will compete with United Parcel Service Inc. [stckqut]UPS[/stckqut] and FedEx Corp. [stckqut]FDX[/stckqut]
Asked about reports that the company was leasing planes and had registered an ocean freight booking business, Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky downplayed Amazon’s ambitions last month in an earnings call. He said the company was simply looking to supplement its delivery partners — not replace them — during peak periods like the Christmas shopping season
A 2013 report to Amazon’s senior management team proposed an aggressive global expansion of the company’s Fulfillment By Amazon service, which provides storage, packing and shipping for independent merchants selling products on the company’s website. The report envisioned a global delivery network that controls the flow of goods from factories in China and India to customer doorsteps in Atlanta, New York and London. The project, called Dragon Boat, is proceeding, according to a person familiar with the initiative, who asked not to be identified because the information isn’t public.
Source: Amazon Building Global Delivery Business to Take On Alibaba – Bloomberg