Amazon is employing its legions of contracted Flex drivers to carry goods from mall-based merchants, allowing sellers to use the e-commerce giant’s delivery service to send things from their own locations.
Amazon has been informing certain Flex drivers in recent months that it is testing a new program in which workers pick up products from local businesses and deliver them to customers’ doorsteps, according to a note seen by CNBC.
The notification reads, “Amazon Flex is testing a new offer type near you.” “You will be able to pick up and deliver pre-packaged items straight from non-Amazon retail businesses in participating local shopping malls with retail delivery offerings.”
The letter was addressed to Las Vegas drivers, and it only applies to orders placed at Fashion Show Center, a 2-million-square-foot retail mall on the Las Vegas Strip. It’s unclear which establishments are taking part in the experiment.
According to Bloomberg, which originally reported on the initiative, Amazon is also testing the service in Chandler, Arizona, and Tysons Corner, Virginia. According to a post on a popular Reddit site for Flex drivers, the business appears to be testing the program in Friendswood, Texas, a city southeast of Houston.
A spokesman for Amazon, Kate Kudrna, stated that the initiative is being used by a few “existing Amazon sellers,” and that Flex drivers work normally but pick up orders from retail locations rather than Amazon delivery stations.
In a statement, Kudrna stated, “We’ve been shipping from third-party retailers for years.” “This is just another way we link Amazon merchants with customers through simple delivery alternatives.”
Amazon Flex, which debuted in 2015, is part of the company’s rapidly expanding in-house logistics division. The service works in over 50 cities and relies on regular drivers to deliver parcels from their own automobiles. They make between $18 and $25 per hour, depending on the shift, and are liable for expenses such as petrol, tolls, and vehicle upkeep.
