According to The Seattle Times, Amazon has purchased the remaining 75% of French delivery firm Colis Privé. The report says the deal will close early in 2016, and the company will also continue to deliver parcels for clients that aren’t Amazon.
A spokesperson from Amazon said the company would continue to operate Colis Privé as a separate business, however the plans do seem to align the e-commerce giant’s expansion into delivery and logistics.
Amazon have also operated an air freight service in Europe, according to the Evening Standard. The company leased air miles on a plan that flew from Germany to Poland to the UK numerous times, delivering packages and parcels.
Meanwhile, a report from the Wall Street Journal suggests a strained relationship between UPS and Amazon, its largest client in the US. The WSJ article says the Amazon account alone at UPS is worth around $1 billion.
It’s not the first time Amazon has bought part of a delivery firm. Back in 2014, the company bought a 4.2% stake in UK firm Yodel, and has been looking to take more control of its own delivery networks as other firms like FedEx and UPS often struggle with demand during holidays like Christmas.
SOURCE: Seattle Times.
Larry Banks is a keen follower of technology and finance. He has worked for a variety of online publications, writing about a diverse range of topics including mobile networks, patents, and Internet video delivery technologies.