Inc. this fall tested package delivery by licensed cab in San Francisco and Los Angeles using taxi-hailing mobile app Flywheel, according to people familiar with the matter. Now, the e-commerce giant is studying the broader use of taxis as delivery vehicles, those people said.
Taxis represent Amazon’s latest experiment to speed package shipments to compete more directly with brick-and-mortar retailers, and to seek alternatives to United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp. and the Postal Service after shipping delays last Christmas.
Since then, Amazon has tested its own delivery service, broadened its use of regional couriers, teamed up with the Postal Service to deliver fresh groceries and is expected to open a Manhattan storefront.
Forrester Researcher analyst Sucharita Mulpuru said Amazon may be developing a “same-day delivery algorithm,” software designed to evaluate a variety of delivery services.
