Amazon Supply Chain Services: Global Logistics for Small and Medium-sized Businesses

The market is shifting: Amazon enters third-party logistics

On May 4, 2026, Amazon officially announced the launch of Amazon Supply Chain Services. As reported by TechCrunch, the new service opens Amazon's global logistics network to any business. It's no longer necessary to sell on the marketplace to access it. Therefore, the line between Amazon as a selling platform and Amazon as a logistics provider blurs further.

In summary, Amazon Supply Chain Services offers warehousing, fulfillment, international shipping, and returns management. All through the same infrastructure that powers Amazon Prime. As a result, UPS and FedEx are facing a competitor with unprecedented scale, technology, and data in the industry.

Market Scenarios: Who Gains and Who Risks

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

In this context, Amazon enters with a structural advantage. It already owns warehouses, fleets, optimization algorithms, and an extensive last-mile delivery network. In contrast, UPS and FedEx must defend market share with infrastructure built over decades but less agile on the technological front. However, traditional carriers maintain established relationships and a presence in segments—such as heavy industrial logistics—where Amazon is still absent.

For Italian SMEs, therefore, the scenario unfolds on two fronts: the opportunity to access premium infrastructure at potentially competitive costs, and the risk of dependence on an ecosystem that also controls sales channels.

Selection Criteria: When Amazon Supply Chain Services is Truly Worth It

The choice between Amazon Supply Chain Services and traditional operators is not universal. It depends on the specific variables of each company. We at SHM Studio We suggest evaluating at least four dimensions before making a decision.

• Shipment volume and frequency: Amazon Supply Chain Services tends to be more cost-effective on high-volume, recurring shipments. For occasional or niche shipments, traditional carriers may offer more contractual flexibility.
• Geographic destinations The Amazon network is particularly strong in the US, Western Europe, and some Asian areas. However, for emerging markets or specialized routes, DHL, UPS, and FedEx maintain superior coverage.
• Integration with Sales Channels: If the company already sells on Amazon or plans to, logistics integration is almost natural. Conversely, those who operate exclusively through their own channels must evaluate the costs of technical integration.
• Operational data management Entrusting your business to Amazon means sharing data on volumes, seasonality, and customers. For some product categories, this represents a concrete competitive risk.

In addition to this, it is worth considering the contractually guaranteed service levels. Amazon has an excellent reputation with consumers, but its track record in pure B2B is still under construction.

When to choose Amazon, when to stick with traditional carriers

Comparative logic is best understood with concrete scenarios. Therefore, we propose a reading by type of SME.

Amazon Supply Chain Services is the preferred choice when: The company has a rapidly 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. Specifically, the consumer goods retail sector and consumer electronics are the most favorable contexts.

Traditional carriers remain preferable when: The company operates in B2B with large-format or heavy shipments, has routes to markets not covered by Amazon, requires customized SLAs and dedicated relationships, or considers strategically risky the sharing of operational data with a potential competitor. Similarly, companies with strong sector-specific compliance constraints—pharmaceuticals, food— will find certified carriers a more robust guarantee.

The perspective of a Milanese agency on the digital supply chain

There's an aspect that often gets overlooked in purely logistical debates. The supply chain is increasingly a marketing asset. In fact, delivery speed, packaging quality, and the returns experience directly influence brand reputation and repurchase rates. According to Harvard Business Review, companies that integrate supply chain and customer experience achieve measurable competitive advantages.

Therefore, the decision on which logistics operator to choose cannot be separated from the overall digital strategy. A company that invests in Google Ads campaigns to acquire customers, you must ensure that the post-purchase experience lives up to the expectations generated by the communication. Likewise, those who work on SEO To rank for commercial queries, you must be able to convert traffic with reliable logistics.

In this regard, Amazon Supply Chain Services offers an interesting integration with Amazon's own advertising tools. However, for those operating on their own channels, the logistics choice must be consistent with the digital ecosystem built over time.

Operational implications for Italian SMEs

Italian SMEs operating in e-commerce or B2B retail are currently facing an important evaluation window. In fact, the coming months will be decisive in understanding what contractual terms Amazon will offer to the European market and how traditional carriers will respond in terms of pricing and services.

Some concrete actions we suggest starting right now:

• Map current logistic costs by product category and geographic destination.
• Request comparative quotes from Amazon and current carriers on actual volumes.
• Evaluate the impact on channel strategy: direct sales vs. marketplace.
• Analyze the data that would be shared with Amazon and its associated competitive risk.
• Integrate the logistics assessment with the roadmap of digital marketing e AI applied to business processes.

Furthermore, it is useful to monitor the evolution of European regulations on digital gatekeepers. The Digital Markets Act could also have implications for the logistics services offered by dominant platforms.

SHM Studio Recommendation: Integrate, Don't Replace

Our reading is pragmatic. Amazon Supply Chain Services is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather a powerful tool for specific business profiles. Therefore, the recommendation is not to adopt or reject it outright, but to consciously integrate it into the operational and digital strategy.

SMEs that today manage logistics as a pure cost have the opportunity to transform it into a competitive advantage. This applies whether they choose Amazon or stick with traditional carriers with a more structured approach. In both cases, the key is consistency between logistics, web presence, contents e B2B communication.

To further explore how to structure an integrated strategy that also considers the evolution of the digital supply chain, it is possible Contact the SHM Studio team to explore the articles of our blog dedicated to the evolution of digital commerce.