FedEx announces launch of its own merchant commerce platform

Logistics company FedEx today announced the launch of its own commerce platform, FDX. The platform may compete with Amazon by providing merchants with services such as demand generation, fulfillment, tracking and after-sales experience including returns.

FDX is currently in private preview, with a wider rollout planned for fall 2024, the company said. Companies can register their trial interest through a form. The company did not mention any brands in the pilot program.

FedEx’s announcement was full of marketing buzzwords, including “data-driven,” “digital-led,” and “end-to-end e-commerce solutions for businesses of all sizes,” but sparse on specifics, such as what it will How to compete with existing platforms.

The company said merchants can use FedEx services, such as ShopRunner, the e-commerce platform it acquired in 2020, to contact customers, display estimated delivery times on websites, process shopping carts, track packages and record the carbon impact of deliveries. emissions impacts, and management returns.

Amazon has offered Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) for years, allowing merchants to use the company’s shipping and logistics infrastructure.

In 2022, Amazon will begin allowing third-party merchants who already use FBA to list Prime-eligible products on their websites. In January 2023, the e-commerce giant expanded this feature to all U.S. merchants and allowed them to display Amazon reviews of products on their website. Last November, Amazon launched new benefits for Buy With Prime, such as easy returns and customer support.

Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon had surpassed rivals FedEx and United Parcel Service in U.S. package delivery

In 2019, FedEx terminated its air express and ground delivery contracts with Amazon. At the time, the Tennessee-based company said Amazon accounted for just 1.3% of revenue in the 12 months ended December 2018. In December 2019, Amazon banned third-party merchants from using FedEx’s ground delivery service for Prime shipments, a situation that was reversed a year later.