Amazon considers links with UK retailers
Online retailer may offer high street collections
October 9 2002
Amazon may allow UK customers to collect some purchases from stores run by its retail partners.
The company is looking to repeat the formula which has seen it succesfully extend its product ranges beyond the core books and music offer in the US.
Amazon is talking to to UK retailers who could link with Amazon.co.uk in the same way that partnerships with retailers such as Toys R Us and Circuit City have proven a winner for Amazon.com.
US customers can already collect electrical goods purchased online from Circuit City outlets and by this Christmas will be able to collect Amazon book orders from Borders stores.
Amazon.co.uk has already linked up with Waterstones in the UK. Store collection would help reduce problems with delivering larger purchases when customers are out.
Company founder Jeff Bezos has previously said the efficiency of the Royal Mail over the US postal service has made Amazon’s growth in the UK easier, but there are now doubts over its future. A number of UK mail order and online retailers have had to find delivery alternatives in the run-up to Christmas after the cost reduction programme initiated by Royal Mail cut back services.
