Amazon wants to turn closed department stores into fulfillment centers, according to The Wall Street Journal. The retail giant is reportedly in talks with US mall owner Simon Property Group Inc. to transform former J.C. Penney and Sears shops into distribution hubs, storing everything from books to clothes to electronics.
Details are scant; it’s unclear how many locations are under consideration, or whether the deal will even come to fruition. But, as the Journal pointed out, flipping big box stores fits with Amazon’s goal to speed up last-mile deliveries. After all, most of these showrooms are only a short commute from scores of customer homes. Neither Amazon nor Simon immediately responded to PCMag’s request for comment. The property group currently owns 63 JCP and 11 Sears stores, based on its May public filing, as published by WSJ.
www.pcmag.com/news/report-amazon-wants-turn-closed-department-stores-into-fulfillment-centers