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As an Inbound Preferred Carrier for online retail giant Amazon, DHL Freight is involved to provide a swift service With Christmas just around the corner, have you ever wondered how and when Amazon starts to prepare deliveries during this busy festive period? At Amazon.com, one of the world’s largest online companies and the United States of America’s biggest online retailer, it’s an appealing and fascinating process. Starting as an online bookstore back in 1995, the company has grown and diversified over the years. It now sells a number of products such as DVDs, video games, software, electronics, apparel, furniture, toys and even groceries amongst others. And, besides retailing, it now also produces its own consumer electronics, notably the Kindle, Fire tablets and Fire TV. With its global reach – it offers worldwide shipping – Amazon has also created separate retail websites for many countries outside the USA. So, how can Amazon ensure that there are so many products available on the website with just one click? Let’s look at www.amazon.de (Germany) as an example. Amazon.de works with a large number of suppliers for all their webshop products. Together with their logistics providers, they are working hard on the ‘Inbound to Fulfillment Center (FC)’-processes so that as many products as possible are available for immediate shipping to Amazon’s customers.
There are three different options:
- Amazon buys the products from the supplier, sells them on their website and manages customer deliveries.
- The supplier maintains ownership of the products, uses Amazon as a sales platform and sends them directly to the customer.
- The supplier maintains ownership of the products but the products are stored and physically distributed by Amazon.
DHL Freight, which has become increasingly involved in the global e-commerce market in the last few years, is on Amazon’s list of ‘Inbound Preferred Carriers’ who deliver products from Amazon’s suppliers to their FCs. Being an ‘Inbound Preferred Carrier’ of Amazon means that DHL Freight commits to the optimization of the inbound processes by providing:
- Reliable and fast transit times
- Reduced administrative tasks for Amazon suppliers
- Improved delivery compliance
- Optimized transportation flow
Working with DHL Freight as their Inbound Preferred Carrier allows Amazon.de to leave the ‘inbound to FC’ process with their logistics partner, and fully concentrate on their core business.
The products’ final journey is managed by DHL Freight amongst other logistics providers
Once the orders are received and then packed in the FC, the products are then handed over to the various logistics providers who transport the final delivery to the Amazon customer. If the parcel is sent via DHL, customers can track their parcel via DHL’s unique track & trace system. But DHL’s involvement goes beyond inbound to FC and delivery to the Amazon customer’s doorstep. If products have been ordered but are stored in different FCs, DHL Freight transports items from one FC to another to make consolidation possible. So, when do the products arrive at their destination? Amazon’s customer promise of delivery within 2-3 days is guaranteed. However, if you are a Prime customer, then delivery can take place the next day if you order before a certain time on the day. This happens even if the products have to be consolidated from different FCs. So, plenty of time to get those Christmas orders in and delivered in time to loved ones and this goes to show just why Amazon is one of the world’s favorite and friendliest online retail stores.
