Amazon aims to onboard thousands more U.S. small businesses to help with package delivery by year-end.

 

Amazon aims to onboard thousands more U.S. small businesses to help with package delivery by year-end.  The last-mile program, called Amazon Hub Delivery, will now target 20 major cities like Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles. Through the program, Amazon's Delivery Service Partner network will provide the packages to participating businesses, like IT shops and florists.  The small businesses will handle approximately 30 daily deliveries, earning an estimated fee of around $2.50 per package. Amazon aims to partner with 2,500 small business drivers by the end of 2023. It's now accepting applications for partner stores on its website. Amazon said it can boost delivery reliability by using small businesses for "last mile" shipments, rather than relying solely on dedicated couriers. Likewise, partners can expand their businesses and increase their earnings. The concept originated in India in 2015 and has since expanded to Japan, Spain, and rural parts of the U.S.