Alphabet's tools and services could enable major logistics companies and e-commerce retailers to better compete with Amazon:
The summit was hosted by Alphabet's R&D lab X and smart city subsidiary Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners. According to attendees cited by CNBC, Alphabet representatives seemed mostly interested in predictive analytics. However, the summit also covered order fulfillment, package tracking, Bluetooth usage, and drone delivery.
Alphabet is likely looking to expand its logistics offerings to claim a share of the fast-growing e-commerce market. E-commerce sales are expected to generate $5 trillion globally on an annual basis by 2021, up from an estimated $3.5 trillion in 2019, As the e-commerce market grows, logistics companies and retailers have been strained to fulfill orders in a timely manner, spurring them to turn to technology for assistance.
Drones: Alphabet's drone delivery subsidiary Wing can help retailers and logistics providers offer innovative last-mile delivery solutions. Wing's drones — in commercial use with FedEx and Walgreens in Christiansburg, Virginia — deliver two- to three-pound packages to customers' doorsteps, sometimes within minutes.
Routing data: Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners can give retailers and logistics providers access to a host of data to improve last-mile delivery in cities. Data points from smart cities can be used to identify potential delivery barriers, such as heavy traffic or accidents, and enable trucks to reroute to avoid delays.
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