UPS and FedEx didn ’ t consider Amazon to be a competitor to them . However , during that time it has become obvious that Amazon is a fulfilment competitor , both at the high-level logistics level as well as getting packages into the hands of customers ,” explains Masters . “ Amazon has invested a lot of money into their fulfilment network starting with their warehouses and now have over a 100 warehouses or fulfilment centres in the US , as well as dozens more internationally too .”
Having authored books on Amazon , such as ‘ The Amazon Expansion Plan ’ and ‘ Amazon for CMOs ’ as well as regularly contributing to Forbes , Masters is well-placed to provide insight into how Amazon conducts operations . “ Amazon ’ s stores purchase inventory from the brand , hold it at their fulfilment centres and then complete each order as they come in ,” she says . “ Then , when they ’ re running low on inventory , they ’ ll repurchase from the brand . Over the last 10 years , Amazon ’ s unit sales have shifted from being largely sales from these retail
45 www . supplychaindigital . com