In time for the holiday rush, the facts and figures behind the online retailer?s huge logistics network The holiday season will be a busy one for Amazon, and as 2017 draw to a close, it could be said this entire year has been a big one for the e-commerce giant, from its acquisition of Whole Foods to the HQ2 race and its expansion in its hometown, Seattle. But behind the company?s growth and expansion, and future plans, lies an immense, intricate logistics network that enables it to offer incredible delivery times to every corner of the country.
The company?s footprint is pretty wild. According to Amazon, the company now operates more than 75 fulfillment centers and 25 sortation centers across North America, which it leases, and employs 125,000 full-time hourly associates in the U.S. During the holiday season, the company will hire an additional 120,000 workers across its logistics and warehouse network. As holiday shopping hits a frenzied peak this month, that system will be tested. Online holiday spending will top $129 billion in 2017, according to Forrester Research Inc., up 12 percent from 2016. Not surprisingly, Amazon has already gotten a jump on it, offering Black Friday deals a week early this year. Here are some incredible facts?and numbers?behind Amazon?s extensive and expanding logistics network.
1. Amazon is helping industrial real estate blow up.
Warehouses and fulfillment centers weren?t really considered sexy investments. But with the rise of Amazon, ...