Amazon to deliver via drones

[purplesky]

Well only time will tell if the drones work or don't.
As for Amazon not being around for a long time. Bezos is just blowing smoke up peoples anus. The barrier of entry to start a business like Amazon is not a few million and Bezo's knows this.
IMO Amazon will be around for long time. Amazons uses most brick and mortar business as a showcase Amazon products. Those brick and mortar stores have high operating costs compared to Amazon warehouses. Sunday 12/1/2013 consumers visited Best Buy, Macys, Frys, Bass Pro Shops, BootBarn, etc, and window shopped, They went home found those items on Amazon placed them on their wishlist. Currently it's Cyber Monday 12/2/2013 those customers are now online at Amazon's website and purchased those items on their wish lists and looking for other bargains. Amazon warehouse employees are getting slammed finding those merchandise. By Wednesday UPS/FEDEX/USPS/LASERSHIP it will our turn to get slammed to get those Amazon packages out for final delivery.

With the internet no sales tax advantage soon disappearing Amazons big advantage will be gone. Most retailers now will price match.

There are many players like Google and Walmart or Apple or Microsoft or a UPS or Facebook who have the billions at their disposal to invest in retail warehousing.



Bezos is a smart guy and he knows many companies could do what his company does. That was his point tonight on 60 minutes.

 

[Returntosender]

With the internet no sales tax advantage soon disappearing Amazons big advantage will be gone. Most retailers now will price match.

There are many players like Google and Walmart or Apple or Microsoft or a UPS or Facebook who have the billions at their disposal to invest in retail warehousing.



Bezos is a smart guy and he knows many companies could do what his company does. That was his point tonight on 60 minutes.

The price match is a great deal. Can't last forever though, either Amazon or those retailers will go under.

 

[MethodsMan]

I'm sure the FAA will approve of random things flying through the air at people's doorstep.....

Yeah right...

 

[bbsam]

I encourage all UPSers and FedExers to practice their skeet shooting.
We can take those drones out.

Or you could throw a wire net over it and let the rotors self destruct. Or combine the two ideas "Planet of the Apes" style.

 

[Returntosender]

I'm sure the FAA will approve of random things flying through the air at people's doorstep.....

Yeah right...

FAA releases ‘road map’ on wider use of drones 11/7/13

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/faa-drones-99527.html#ixzz2mIWSGk4n http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/faa-drones-99527.html

 

[cachsux]

You'll see a robotic delivery vehicle with its self contained mini delivery robot that goes from house to house long before a single delivery mini-copter.

 

[Returntosender]

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

All you need is a shotgun and good aim.

All good Upsers could use this method to make Amazon abandon this delivery method and go Brown more.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

I want to see the drone vs. dog! Dog either destroys drone or drone is able to lift dog and .......lol.

I blast it out of the sky and my Golden will retrieve it.

 

[tonyexpress]

I say skip the drone and advance to technology that has been here, well all the way back to the days of Captain James T. Kirk.

The TRANSPORTER ...... Ironically offered up by Amazon... http://www.amazon.com/STAR-CAPTAIN-JAMES-TRANSPORTER-SERIES/dp/B000HAXHFI

 

[oldngray]

 

[Dracula]

Never count Amazon out. Amazon started out as just as online book retailer then became an everything you looking for retailer. Created the Kindle e-reader in 2007. Several other companies seen the success of the E-reader decided to imitate the Kindle, the Ipad, Galaxy, MS Surface, Transformers Tablets, etc Amazon partnered with the Post Office for delivery. Now the Post Office does Sunday deliveries for them in select cities. Those select cities could trailblazer programs for Amazon future plans on dominating retail/delivery environment.

And they still can't figure out a way to make a profit...

 

[oldngray]

Small brains with big ideas.

 

[Dracula]

What everyone seems to overlook, is the service these drones are supposed offer. 30 minute delivery time. Fo.rget the massive amount of bugs and hurdles that it would take to even come close to making this operational.

The vast amount of Amazon's customers are residential. Ask yourself, how many residential customers seek Next Day Air delivery? Not too many, right? Why?

The value you get for the money you pay.

Even if--and that is an enormous if--Amazon could pull this off, how much do you think they would charge for this service? Who knows? But guess what?

It won't be cheaper than Next Day Air service.

Again, the value you get for the money you pay.

 

[purplesky]

Jeff Bezos got a no punches fluff story on 60 minutes and is punking the media with this silly drone idea to get people to talk about Amazon on Cyber Monday.

The manpower and warehousing costs related to a Amazon air force of drones would be so much more expensive and less efficient than using a Amazon fleet of electric cars its not even funny.

I cant believe how many people really think this drone media stunt could happen in 3 to 5 years.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Jeff Bezos got a no punches fluff story on 60 minutes and is punking the media with this silly drone idea to get people to talk about Amazon on Cyber Monday.

The manpower and warehousing costs related to a Amazon air force of drones would be so much more expensive and less efficient than using a Amazon fleet of electric cars its not even funny.

I cant believe how many people really think this drone media stunt could happen in 3 to 5 years.

It may have worked----they processed 300 orders a minute today.

 

[RockinRobin]

Nothing Bezos does surprises me. He's got the resources to be the modern day Howard Hughes. I posted elsewhere that his alliance with the USPS for Sunday delivery should not be taken lightly. It has been speculated that he may even consider purchasing a package delivery company outright.

This aside, I think his Drone idea is impractical. It's just too risky, and not feasible in today's world.

What do you do when it's very foul weather, with 30 mph wind with gusts to 45 mph. How about heavy ice and snow? Drones are going to be just as susceptible to this as small private aircraft are.
What about the kids playing in the front yard when a Drone approaches? OK, so maybe there is collision avoidance built in, but kids are curious. I can see one running up to "Greet" the hovering drone. Disaster waiting to happen.
Same goes for pets. Dogs will be a hazard. Hit a dog and it's all over. For that matter, hit a bird and it's all over. This isn't a set from "Leave it to Beaver", this is a crowded and chaotic world. Hazards abound.

And what about bandits. I can see it now. Criminals are on the lookout for Amazon Drones. They either shoot them down or follow them to their destination and pick up the packages they release. Hackers may even figure out how to get the Drones to release the cargo early and drop packages in-flight. Tell me drones carrying packages in cities are not going to attract a lot of attention, especially at first.

Finally, as a Pilot, I know how crowded airspace is at present. Especially below 10,000 feet AGL. You've got a lot of air traffic in metro areas below 10k arriving or departing or transiting through. And pilots like me are always under 10k feet. I'd not want to hit an Amazon Drone wile flying. It could be fatal if not heart-stopping. Police and various government agencies do more flying under 5k feet than we probably are aware as well. It's just not a good place for robots to be delivering iPods to consumers in.

We'll see, but I have my doubts on this idea by Bezos. He's a market-maker, for sure, and one hellava entrepreneur, but this one may be a pipe dream.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

Nuisance factor ?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Here's a thought----if they can offer 30 minute delivery via drone why couldn't they offer the same service for customers who want to pick their package up in person?

 

[oldngray]

30 minute delivery? Amazon could deliver pizzas!