Amazon revealed a plan this week to offer all Prime members one-day shipping and it stunned the market, but the biggest logistics innovation from Jeff Bezos may depend on Scout, a robot that can replace human-based last-mile delivery.
, and they only deliver during daylight hours on weekdays. An Amazon spokesperson who spoke with CNBC could not comment on the program beyond what's on the blog, so for now the future of the rollout remains murky.
"[The Scout] probably cannot negotiate the many variables that are involved in home delivery, such as steps, rain and customers who are not there when the robot opens its lid," she said. "This would likely lead to a delay in delivery, which is a pain point for Amazon shoppers in particular." Robotic delivery systems would also make it easier for consumers to say they never got a package and commit chargeback fraud than if theAs far as benefits, Eaton-Cardone cited cost reductions on Amazon's part as well as a possible increase in delivery speed. She also said it might unexpectedly benefit infrastructure.
"A fast drone can fly at 50 miles per hour, over 10 times faster than Scout," said Nicholas Farhi, partner at the global consulting firm OC&C Strategy. "It will become quicker to have something delivered than to make a trip to the local store, unlocking a big new chunk of 'need it now,' low premeditation retail sales to delivery."
While the physical risks of robotic delivery may be debatable, Harris said that it will almost certainly cost delivery workers their jobs. Monica Eaton-Cardone of Chargebacks911 agreed.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Amazon to bring 1-day delivery to Prime membersAmazon to bring one-day delivery to Prime members.
Read more »
Amazon to spend $800 million to make free one-day shipping the default for Prime membersAmazon to spend $800 mln this quarter to make free one-day shipping the default for Prime members
Read more »
Amazon Will Make One-Day Shipping Free For All Prime MembersAmazon plans to spend $800 million to expand Prime from a two-day to a one-day shipping standard.
Read more »
Amazon to give Prime customers one-day shipping, cutting free delivery time in halfAmazon expects to improve the delivery times for customers who sign up for its Prime subscription program, cutting free deliveries to one day instead of two
Read more »
Amazon is spending $800 million to make free one-day shipping standard for PrimeAmazon plans to invest hundreds of millions to shift from two-day free shipping to one-day free shipping with Prime.
Read more »
Amazon to bring 1-day delivery to Prime membersNEW YORK (AP) — Two-day delivery is going out of style. Amazon, which hooked shoppers on getting just about anything delivered in two days, announced Thursday that it will soon promise...
Read more »
Amazon says one-day shipping is coming for Prime membersChief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky said on Thursday that Amazon plans to shorten the current two-day default free shipping plan by one day for Prime members.
Read more »
Walmart, Target shares tumble as Amazon announces one-day shipping for Prime membersAmazon just raised the bar for retailers across the U.S. — chiefly Walmart and Target — to offer ever faster and cheaper shipping for online purchases. Or to lean into their bricks-and-mortar stores even more.
Read more »