Amazon’s Growth and Influence Continue

Patrick Sisson takes a closer look at Amazon's operations and logistics. Amazon already has a huge stake in industrial real estate, reports Sisson:

The company’s footprint is pretty wild. According to Amazon, the company now operates more than 75 fulfillment centers and 25 sortation centers across North America, which it leases, and employs 125,000 full-time hourly associates in the U.S. During the previous holiday season, the company hired an additional 120,000 workers across its logistics and warehouse network.

Globally, Amazon owns and leases more than 250 million square feet of space. Its continued growth and expansion have highlighted the potential of investment in warehouses and fulfillment centers.

Sisson reports that while the U.S. Postal Service now handles 40 percent of Amazon packages, a plan to launch its own delivery service has been in the works. In addition, Amazon is moving into the renewable energy sector. Last year, it opened a massive wind farm in Texas and construction continues on wind and solar projects across the country.