Amazon will close two distribution stations, affecting more than 300 employees

According to reports in the morning of September 6, Beijing time, Amazon announced on Wednesday local time that it would close two distribution stations in Baltimore, which together employ more than 300 people.

An Amazon spokesman said the company would provide employees from these sites with the opportunity to transfer to other distribution sites in the region. However, the spokesman did not specify how many local sites there are, but simply said that there are "some" sites nearby.

The move appears to be the latest move by Amazon to scale back the expansion of its vast delivery network.

MWPVL International Inc, a consultancy that tracks Amazon's real estate purchases, said Amazon had cancelled plans to open 42 facilities in the US and delayed the construction of another 21 facilities.

The company has suspended the opening of a 700000-square-foot facility in Nebraska, which is almost fully completed, but has postponed its opening until 2024.

Brian Olsavsky, Amazon's chief financial officer, said in April that Amazon faced a glut of space after its real estate empire erupted during the outbreak because of surging demand for online shopping. From mid-2021 to April 2022, Amazon doubled the size of its business and the number of employees, says Mr Olsavsky.

Amazon also scaled back hiring in its retail division this year. It had been reported that the sector had been hit hard by a surge in inflation.

However, Amazon has not scaled back every part of its business. It was reported on Friday that the company had been inviting sellers to participate in a new pilot scheme aimed at storing products for longer periods of time. Although Amazon has historically focused on fast-turnover inventory, the new project shows that it is looking to gain a larger share of the warehousing market.

Amazon had no immediate comment.