Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

Jeff Bezos insists Amazon isn’t trying to kill UPS

But maybe it’s a little bit about negotiating lower shipping prices.

Asa Mathat
Jason Del Rey
Jason Del Rey has been a business journalist for 15 years and has covered Amazon, Walmart, and the e-commerce industry for the last decade. He was a senior correspondent at Vox.

Amazon is taking more control over how a package lands on your doorstep, but the company isn’t trying to destroy UPS, CEO Jeff Bezos said at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., on Tuesday evening.

Industry experts have reason to be suspicious. The e-commerce giant has recently starting leasing airplanes and buying up truck trailers. The goal, however, is to simply supplement the delivery capabilities of U.S. Postal Service and UPS, but do so “heavily,” according to Bezos.

“We’re growing our business” with the USPS and UPS, he said in an onstage interview with Walt Mossberg.

Bezos did, however, hint at another motivation: Getting better terms on delivery contracts with companies like UPS.

“Better prices on transportation would be acceptable to us,” he deadpanned.

Our signature events sell out quickly. Sign up for our mailing list.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

More in Technology

Podcasts
Are humanoid robots all hype?Are humanoid robots all hype?
Podcast
Podcasts

AI is making them better — but they’re not going to be doing your chores anytime soon.

By Avishay Artsy and Sean Rameswaram
Future Perfect
The old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemicThe old tech that could help stop the next airborne pandemic
Future Perfect

Glycol vapors, explained.

By Shayna Korol
Future Perfect
Elon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wantsElon Musk could lose his case against OpenAI — and still get what he wants
Future Perfect

It’s not about who wins. It’s about the dirty laundry you air along the way.

By Sara Herschander
Life
Why banning kids from AI isn’t the answerWhy banning kids from AI isn’t the answer
Life

What kids really need in the age of artificial intelligence.

By Anna North
Culture
Anthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque messAnthropic owes authors $1.5B for pirating work — but the claims process is a Kafkaesque mess
Culture

“Your AI monster ate all our work. Now you’re trying to pay us off with this piece of garbage that doesn’t work.”

By Constance Grady
Future Perfect
Some deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapySome deaf children are hearing again because of a new gene therapy
Future Perfect

A medical field that almost died is quietly fixing one disease at a time.

By Bryan Walsh