Really How does Amazon Logistics Work?

[Ingomike]

Or worse. they comingle stock in some cases. So you buy "from the manufacturer" using them for warehousing, and you could get the bogus one, and the bogus seller's customer gets the real one.

Better explanation of what I was trying to say…

 

[Cameramonkey]

They freaked me out again today. I got a package. I opened it up and there were two items. One for work and one for personal. "oh crap, did I not notice the personal item in my cart?

Nope. Two orders in the same box. whew!

 

[deingy]

Amazon is the Sears & Roebuck of the 21st Century.

Founded 129 years ago, Sears had become the largest retailer in the US by the middle of the 20th Century. They sold everything, including homes that were shipped to you in a kit via railroad and the final miles by horse drawn wagon. They were trailblazers for the day in terms of sourcing, purchasing, warehousing, marketing, and distribution.

Amazon is a logistics success story. Some very smart people have devoted a lot of time and thought into delivering your online order as quickly and cheaply as possible. Their oops detailed by the OP falls into a category percentage that begins with a dot, when compared to their total items delivered. Considering how often an Amazon owned or leased transportation vehicle is involved in a disruption (crash, derailment, breakdown, theft) it's amazing how often they still get your order right.

Hooray for Capitalism.

Amazon is the Sears & Roebuck of the 21st Century.

Founded 129 years ago, Sears had become the largest retailer in the US by the middle of the 20th Century. They sold everything, including homes that were shipped to you in a kit via railroad and the final miles by horse drawn wagon. They were trailblazers for the day in terms of sourcing, purchasing, warehousing, marketing, and distribution.

Amazon is a logistics success story. Some very smart people have devoted a lot of time and thought into delivering your online order as quickly and cheaply as possible. Their oops detailed by the OP falls into a category percentage that begins with a dot, when compared to their total items delivered. Considering how often an Amazon owned or leased transportation vehicle is involved in a disruption (crash, derailment, breakdown, theft) it's amazing how often they still get your order right.

Hooray for Capitalism.

FYI: Wilmington Air Park (formally Clinton Co. AFB) is almost exclusively domestic Prime air cargo operations with 16 767 Freighters and multiple 737 Freighter flights arriving today alone. Out and back all over the US every day. That suppliments their international operations at CVG.

 

[eldirector]

Should go update the "Prime Day" thread, but...

Ordered 2 items on Prime Day. One set to deliver in 1-2 days, and was received in 2 days. The other set to deliver today (7/20), but I instead received on Saturday (7/16).

With 3 Amazon warehouses within spitting distance, it is rare for something sold by Amazon (not a reseller) to take more than a couple of days.

 

[two70]

Seems like since covid hit, all deliveries to us by Amazon take a week (or close to it) anymore. Prior to that, we’d get stuff in 2-3 days with Prime but not anymore.

That's odd, my family lives farther out into the Boonies and they still get most Prime items in 2-3 days.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

That's odd, my family lives farther out into the Boonies and they still get most Prime items in 2-3 days.

I'm just lucky, I guess.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Amazon is getting squirrely.

They keep using their trucks to get it to town, then ship it from their warehouse via UPS last mile.

And of course that adds another 2-3 days to the delivery time.

 

[Ingomike]

Amazon is getting squirrely.

They keep using their trucks to get it to town, then ship it from their warehouse via UPS last mile.

And of course that adds another 2-3 days to the delivery time.

One thing you can count on it that will change, they are constantly changing up how they deliver items. Could it be the items? Are they items shipped and warehoused by Amazon or third party suppliers?

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Even with Prime, I am convinced Amazon intentionally delays shipments to rural customers. Why- because it costs more to ship to rural customers even with their own trucks. For work we have started to move to other online suppliers for tech. They ship faster, usually same day if the order is in early and usually have the same prices.

Just my $.02. Ymmv.

 

[Ingomike]

Even with Prime, I am convinced Amazon intentionally delays shipments to rural customers. Why- because it costs more to ship to rural customers even with their own trucks. For work we have started to move to other online suppliers for tech. They ship faster, usually same day if the order is in early and usually have the same prices.

Just my $.02. Ymmv.

I would not be the least surprised if this is true. I suspect the more isolated one is the more likely it would be to happen. Seems logical to me that more isolated customers would be lower priority when in a situation of more to deliver than time to deliver it. Maybe they know tomorrow there will be more shipments to the isolated area and delay today is tomorrows efficiency…

If one lives in a town of 2000 people, out of the cities, it is admirable that Amazon tries to give those folks the Prime service, but seems unrealistic to me to expect the same level of service as cities with 100,000 people…

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I would not be the least surprised if this is true. I suspect the more isolated one is the more likely it would be to happen. Seems logical to me that more isolated customers would be lower priority when in a situation of more to deliver than time to deliver it. Maybe they know tomorrow there will be more shipments to the isolated area and delay today is tomorrows efficiency…

If one lives in a town of 2000 people, out of the cities, it is admirable that Amazon tries to give those folks the Prime service, but seems unrealistic to me to expect the same level of service as cities with 100,000 people…

I live out in the county and it’s gotten worse over the years, especially since covid. I was impressed early on how quickly things would ship, even out to us. Now, not so much.

 

[Ingomike]

One thing to keep in mind is Amazon continues to grow. I am sure that much growth is hard to manage in the times we have just been through. I bet it eases up soon…

 

[KLB]

Maybe it is warehouse dependent. Things are slower for the holidays, but we get our stuff when promised. There is even a regular driver that delivers most of it. We are fairly rural.

 

[KLB]

One thing you can count on it that will change, they are constantly changing up how they deliver items. Could it be the items? Are they items shipped and warehoused by Amazon or third party suppliers?

Amazon seems to keep a small number of most items in regional warehouses, which gets you one day delivery in most cases. If you up your order quantity though, the time for delivery will go up.

 

[Ingomike]

Amazon seems to keep a small number of most items in regional warehouses, which gets you one day delivery in most cases. If you up your order quantity though, the time for delivery will go up.

Which reminds me of a warning to those that may buy higher end products like optics. To spread stuff around to warehouses Amazon commingles merchandise. Reputable optics seller (A) on Amazon sends 10 optics, scammer optics seller (B) sends 10 counterfeit of the same model, Amazon spreads them all around to its warehouses. You order one believing you are buying one from A, but get a counterfeit one from the commingled inventory.

Be cautious what you choose to buy from Amazon, particularly high end items that are frequently counterfeited…

 

[littletommy]

I’m noticing that while delivery dates are getting better, they are still longer in most cases, in my area anyway.

I will also add that for at least the last several months, their estimated delivery date is pretty much dead on the nuts. If I order today and it says delivery day is Wednesday, it WILL be here Wednesday. I think that’s pretty impressive, and about as good (if not better) than just about any other business you could deal with in these times.

 

[KLB]

They are always tuning their deliveries. I've noticed they combine multiple orders into a box and deliver multiple orders at the same time for both me and my wife.

 

[MarmotMountain]

Like others have said, I think it depends which warehouse it leaves from.