Long before the pandemic overloaded U.S. delivery infrastructure, Scott Ruffin was trying to make Amazon.com Inc. a shipping powerhouse. He spent five years building out home-delivery operations for the e-commerce giant, reducing its dependence on services such as FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc.
Now Ruffin wants to do it on his own. Introduced in stealth mode in September with $5 million in seed funding, his startup Pandion aims to help major retailers offer affordable one- and two-day deliveries and compete with his former employer.
The shipping business is hot right now, but it’s also a mess. FedEx and UPS responded to increased demand during the pandemic by raising rates. Amazon—which has tens of thousands of its own trucks and about 80 planes—fared better than most, but still had to limit what shoppers could buy. People were warned to start ordering their Christmas gifts as early as October, and packages piled up in warehouses during the holiday season.
A spokeswoman for FedEx said that shipping volumes were up 24% during the peak season and that the company would “continue to develop innovative solutions to meet demand.” UPS declined to comment for this story.
この記事は Bloomberg Businessweek の February 08, 021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Bloomberg Businessweek の February 08, 021 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts
Running in Circles
A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking
The Last-Mover Problem
A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps
Tick Tock, TikTok
The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment
New Money, New Problems
In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers
