Forget drones. Amazon has a new big idea for making deliveries

When Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, unveiled plans to use drones to deliver packages to customers within 30 minutes of placing an order, analysts suggested that the company could be preparing to dispose of a human workforce in favour of the unmanned aerial vehicles.

But it appears the firm is looking at another delivery route.

The e-commerce giant is said to be developing an app whereby members of the public would pick up parcels at various retail locations and deliver them to the intended recipient on the way to their destination in exchange for money.

The app, which is understood to be named On My Way, is intended to cut costs and improve the customer experience, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The service, which would be available to customers in the US, could give the company more control over the shopping experience and help to contain shipping costs, which grew 31 per cent last year, the newspaper said.

The fee structure for On My Way has yet to be established, the newspaper added. An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment on the matter.

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