Amazon trials Sunday deliveries in London

Amazon to begin Sunday deliveries in London later this month, using its own trucks.

Amazon Prime members, who receive unlimited free two-day shipping, can now receive their packages on Sunday in these areas at no additional cost, the company said.

“If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can order a backpack for your child on Friday and be packing it for them Sunday night,” said Dave Clark, Amazon’s vice president of worldwide operations and customer service.

“We’re excited that now every day is an Amazon delivery day and we know our Prime members, who voraciously shop on Amazon, will love the additional convenience they will experience as part of this new service.”

Amazon and the U.S. Postal Service plan to roll out the service to a large portion of the U.S. population in 2014 including Dallas, Houston, New Orleans and Phoenix. Clark told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon would also begin Sunday deliveries in London later this month, using its own trucks.

Sunday delivery is Amazon's latest initiative to expand the speed and breadth of its offerings. In September the company announced plans to open a series of small, regional distribution depots under the brand "Amazon Logistics" to speed up customer deliveries.

In the UK, seven 50,000 sq ft "fulfilment centres" have so far opened at leased sites around Birmingham, Oxford, Milton Keynes and several locations around London. Four more "mini" centres will be opened next year in the north-west of England, south-west, the Midlands and Yorkshire.

In each case, Amazon is teaming up with smaller companies such as City Sprint and Transline, which take the product to customers' doors.

Source : Sophie Curtis - the Telegraph
www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/amazon/10440542/Amazon-trials-Sunday-deliveries.html