Amazon is implementing new technologies designed to boost delivery efficiency and improve the online shopping experience.
One key innovation, dubbed Vision Assisted Package Retrieval, uses spotlights within delivery trucks to help workers quickly locate packages for each stop. This technology, according to Amazon, will save valuable seconds during each delivery.
“When we speed up deliveries, customers shop more,” said Doug Herrington, CEO of Amazon worldwide stores, at a recent event. “Once a customer experiences fast delivery, they will come back sooner and shop more.”
The company plans to equip 1,000 electric delivery trucks, supplied by Rivian, with this spotlight technology early next year. Camera and LED projector systems in the trucks will read package labels instantly. Amazon, Rivian’s largest shareholder, has orders for 100,000 electric delivery vans to be deployed by 2030.
Amazon is also leveraging artificial intelligence to help customers make faster buying decisions. The new AI software aims to reduce research time for new products like televisions and dog food by providing more comprehensive information and purchase recommendations. These guides follow the launch of Rufus, an AI search feature on the main Amazon website that provides extended answers to user queries.
These strategies echo similar systems in Amazon’s warehouses. As an example, Amazon’s warehouses use light-guided systems to assist workers in quickly finding items, which replaced systems that frequently had workers walking long distances to get products.
By shaving even a few seconds from each delivery, Amazon hopes to increase the number of deliveries each worker can make in a shift. With these improvements in efficiency, Amazon delivery workers currently serve around 100 customers daily.
In addition, Amazon plans to introduce smaller warehouses attached to its Whole Foods grocery stores. This change aims to reduce instances where customers are tempted to shop at competing stores, such as when a customer wants a product not offered by Whole Foods. The first store to feature this service will be in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, with plans for a launch sometime next year.
