Amazon Plans To Deliver Items Before You Buy Them

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Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), the online retail giant, plans to ship you items even before you click on the “Buy Now” button. The company patented a new “anticipatory shipping” system in which items would be sent to Amazon’s fulfillment centers which are near to the customer who is likely to purchase it. The patent surely sounds futuristic,  but then so is Amazon’s new Prime Air, where Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) plans to deliver products to customers via drones within just 60 minutes.

Amazon’s ‘futuristic’ plans to deliver items ahead of purchase

According to Engadget, “The patent’s examples illustrate a speculative shipment system that deploys goods to specific geographical areas. If a customer in that area places an order that matches a nearby package, it would then be redirected to its final destination.”

This means that you won’t get a surprise package delivery at your doorstep unannounced. It does mean, however, that Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) will ship the product at your nearest fulfillment center (warehouse) so that it is ready to be delivered to you when you order it. The idea is that the final delivery will be significantly faster since the item has already arrived at a warehouse near your location.

Your Amazon orders will reach you faster

To anticipate demand for a product, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) might take several factors into consideration including a customer’s previous orders, wish lists, product searches, return, and how long the customer’s cursor hovers over an item. Research shows a customer will spend more time on a product page which he/she intends to purchase in the future.

This new delivery system means the next time your order your copy of Game of Thrones, Sherlock or Breaking Bad, you’ll get it in no time, provided Amazon understands your interests and what you plan to buy next. Although it seems like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) might have borrowed the idea for this new delivery system from a sci-fi movie, in reality it is just another incremental step forward in applying Big Data to improve business efficiencies.

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