Amazon on Monday launched a supply chain platform that the e-commerce giant said would open its vast warehouse and logistics network to “all businesses” — whether or not they sell on its online marketplace.
Amazon Supply Chain Services, company officials said, will provide third-party logistics — including storing, shipping and delivering raw materials and finished goods alike — to companies across a wide range of industries.
The company also said Friday that industrial conglomerate 3M and consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble are among the first to sign up for the new service; 3M, in particular, is using Amazon's freight services to move products from its manufacturing sites to distribution centers, officials said.
Amazon leaders said that the platform has long powered Amazon’s own e-commerce operations and, in recent years, those of its third-party sellers. Peter Larsen, the vice president of Amazon Supply Chain Services, said in a statement that it would provide “access to the same cost efficiency, reliability and speed that we’ve built for Amazon customers.” The company said its parcel shipping capabilities, in particular, allow “two-to-five-day delivery speeds and seven-day-a-week service.”
“Amazon is bringing the infrastructure, intelligence, and scale of its supply chain services — proven over decades — to businesses everywhere, much like Amazon Web Services did for cloud computing,” Larsen said. “Supply chain wasn’t just a function at Amazon — it was core to providing an exceptional shopping experience.”
