Amazon Supply Chain Services: global logistics for SMEs

The market shifts: Amazon enters third-party logistics

On May 4, 2026, Amazon officially launched Amazon Supply Chain Services. As reported by TechCrunch, the new service opens Amazon's global logistics network to any business. You no longer need to sell on the marketplace to use it. As a result, the line between Amazon as a sales platform and Amazon as a logistics operator gets even thinner.

In short, Amazon Supply Chain Services offers warehousing, fulfillment, international shipping and returns management. All on the same infrastructure that powers Amazon Prime. As a result, UPS and FedEx now face a competitor with scale, technology and data unlike anything the industry has seen.

Market scenarios: who wins and who is at risk

The B2B logistics market is worth billions globally. According to McKinsey, demand for integrated logistics services keeps growing, driven by e-commerce and the complexity of post-pandemic supply chains. Cost pressure is also pushing SMEs to look for alternatives to traditional operators.

In this landscape, Amazon enters with a structural advantage. It already owns warehouses, fleets, optimization algorithms and a dense last-mile delivery network. UPS and FedEx, by contrast, must defend market share with infrastructure built over decades but less agile on the technology side. Still, traditional carriers keep established relationships and a presence in segments, such as heavy industrial logistics, where Amazon is still absent.

So for Italian SMEs, the picture has two sides: the chance to access premium infrastructure at potentially competitive costs, and the risk of depending on an ecosystem that also controls the sales channels.

How to choose: when Amazon Supply Chain Services is really worth it

The choice between Amazon Supply Chain Services and traditional operators is not one-size-fits-all. It depends on each company's specific variables. At SHM Studio, we suggest evaluating at least four dimensions before deciding.

• Shipment volume and frequency: Amazon Supply Chain Services tends to be more cost-effective on high, recurring volumes. For occasional or niche shipments, traditional carriers may offer more contractual flexibility.
• Geographic destinations: Amazon's network is especially strong in the US, Western Europe and some parts of Asia. For emerging markets or specialized routes, however, DHL, UPS and FedEx still offer better coverage.
• Integration with sales channels: If your company already sells on Amazon or plans to, logistics integration comes almost naturally. If you operate only on your own channels, you need to weigh the cost of technical integration.
• Operational data management: Relying on Amazon means sharing data on volumes, seasonality and customers. For some product categories, this is a real competitive risk.

You should also consider the contractually guaranteed service levels. Amazon has an excellent reputation in consumer markets, but its track record in pure B2B is still being built.

When to choose Amazon, and when to stick with traditional carriers

The comparison is clearer with concrete scenarios. So here is a breakdown by type of SME.

Amazon Supply Chain Services is the better choice when: your company has a fast-growing e-commerce business, sells or plans to sell on marketplaces, needs to scale logistics without its own infrastructure investment, and operates mainly in markets where Amazon already has a mature network. Retail consumer goods and consumer electronics are the most favorable contexts.

Traditional carriers remain the better choice when: your company works in B2B with large or heavy shipments, has routes to markets Amazon doesn't cover, needs custom SLAs and dedicated relationships, or considers sharing operational data with a potential competitor strategically risky. Likewise, companies with strict industry compliance requirements, such as pharma and food, will find certified carriers a more solid guarantee.

A Milan agency's take on the digital supply chain

There's one aspect that often gets lost in the purely logistical debate: the supply chain is increasingly a marketing asset. Delivery speed, packaging quality and the returns experience directly shape brand reputation and repurchase rates. According to Harvard Business Review, companies that integrate supply chain and customer experience gain measurable competitive advantages.

So the decision on which logistics provider to choose can't be separated from your overall digital strategy. A company investing in Google Ads campaigns to acquire customers must make sure the post-purchase experience lives up to the expectations its messaging creates. Likewise, a company working on SEO to rank for commercial queries needs reliable logistics to convert that traffic.

In this sense, Amazon Supply Chain Services offers an interesting integration with Amazon's own advertising tools. But if you operate on your own channels, your logistics choice has to fit the digital ecosystem you've built over time.

Operational implications for Italian SMEs

Italian SMEs in e-commerce and B2B retail now have an important window for evaluation. The coming months will be decisive in showing what contract terms Amazon will offer the European market and how traditional carriers will respond on pricing and services.

Here are a few concrete actions we suggest starting now:

• Map your current logistics costs by product category and geographic destination.
• Request comparative quotes from Amazon and your current carriers based on real volumes.
• Assess the impact on your channel strategy: direct sales vs marketplace.
• Analyze the data you would share with Amazon and the competitive risk that comes with it.
• Fold the logistics assessment into your roadmap for digital marketing and AI applied to business processes.

It's also worth following European regulation on digital gatekeepers. The Digital Markets Act could affect the logistics services offered by dominant platforms, too.

SHM Studio's recommendation: integrate, don't replace

Our take is pragmatic. Amazon Supply Chain Services is not a universal solution, but it is a powerful tool for specific company profiles. So our recommendation is neither to adopt nor reject it upfront, but to integrate it thoughtfully into your operational and digital strategy.

SMEs that treat logistics as a pure cost have the chance to turn it into a competitive advantage. That holds whether you choose Amazon or stay with traditional carriers using a more structured approach. Either way, the key is consistency across logistics, web presence, content and B2B communication.

Want to build an integrated strategy that also accounts for the evolution of the digital supply chain? Contact the SHM Studio team or browse the articles on our blog about the evolution of digital commerce.