Amazon is reportedly interested in setting up distribution hubs in ailing shopping malls in a bid to move its last-mile operation closer to residential areas.
Amazon is reportedly in talks with major U. S. mall operator Simon Property Group over a plan to convert vacated department stores into distribution hubs for the online shopping behemoth. Malls have taken a battering in recent years as more and more customers hop online to shop from the comfort of their own home. The emergence of COVID-19 at the start of 2020 hasn’t helped, either, with stay-at-home orders and general safety concerns prompting even more people to steer clear of brick-and-mortar stores and shop online instead. The changing retail climate has forced stores big and small to announce closures in recent years, leaving huge amounts of empty space inside once bustling shopping malls.
