Amazon tests having drivers make deliveries from local malls

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Amazon is testing a program in which Flex drivers pick up and deliver packages from malls. The program could help Amazon fulfill orders for same-day or two-day delivery.

Lauren Samaha, an Amazon spokeswoman, said in an email that this is just another way that the company can connect sellers with customers. Samaha didn't specify which sellers are participating in the program.

It isn't clear where Amazon is running the test. According to drivers who spoke to Bloomberg, they pick up packages from malls in Arizona, Nevada, and Virginia.

Amazon's Flex drivers use their own vehicles to deliver packages. Samaha says that there is an option to pick up packages from local stores, which has been available for years. Delivery drivers will head to stores in the mall to collect packages.

Amazon is testing a delivery service that pays rural mom-and-pop shops to deliver packages for the company, according to a report. In a way, the local businesses become like the post office, where packages are dropped off at least three times a year and workers are tasked with delivering them within a 10-mile radius. The US Postal Service and United Parcel Service were used for the final leg of delivery for Amazon, but giving local stores that job could mean less need for either service.

Third-party websites are where the retail giant is looking to conquer other shipping services. Merchants that already store goods in Amazon's warehouse can now add Buy With Prime buttons to their websites. This allows customers to shop outside of Amazon and reap the benefits of Prime shipping, as well as giving Amazon's fulfillment sector even more business.