Amazon.com is investigating the possibility of delivering packages by aerial drones.
But, for now, it is sticking to city streets. The online retailing powerhouse has received an option to take a 4.2 percent stake in Yodel, a U.K. parcel delivery company with more than 5,000 vans in its fleet.
The deal reportedly values Yodel — recently named as Britain’s worst parcel delivery service — at $341 million, reports The Guardian. Yodel ships about 135 million packages per year, which The Guardian says makes it the second largest delivery company in the U.K. behind Royal Mail.
In the U.S., Amazon.com has recently begun to expand its Amazon.com Fresh delivery service, taking the service to LA and San Francisco from its original home base in Seattle. It also recently struck a deal with the U.S. Postal Service to begin package delivery in some cities on Sunday.
The company is looking to reduce the amount of time it takes to deliver products to customers’ doorsteps, potentially eliminating one of the last core advantages of traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.
Last October, Amazon.com rival eBay purchased London-based online delivery company Shutl, creating a method for customers of some retailers to get items delivered in less than an hour.
