The Growing Weight of Amazon's Logistics Costs

In addition to working together with companies such as UPS and FedEx, Amazon has started its own delivery service called Amazon Logistics last year. Until then, despite operating an elaborate network of fulfillment, sortation and delivery centers, Amazon had ceded control over the “last mile” to traditional delivery companies.

As Amazon continues to grow, its logistics costs have skyrocketed over the past decade. In 2018, the company’s fulfillment and shipping expenses amounted to $34.0 billion and $27.7 billion respectively, up from just over $1 billion each in 2007. Introducing its own shipping service does not only give Amazon the chance to keep shipping costs at bay, it also reduces the risk associated with relying on UPS and FedEx for last-mile delivery. In its 10-K report, Amazon notes: “We rely on a limited number of shipping companies to deliver inventory to us and completed orders to our customers. If we are not able to negotiate acceptable terms with these companies or they experience performance problems or other difficulties, it could negatively impact our operating results and customer experience.”

As the following chart shows, the relative weight of fulfillment and shipping costs on Amazon’s bottom line has increased over the past decade. Last year, the two cost factors amounted to 26.5 percent of the company’s net sales, up from 16.6 percent in 2007.