Amazon's Project Mercury Aims to Establish 1,000 Same-Day Fulfilment Centres by 2031

Amazon's ambitious plan to expand its same-day delivery network has been revealed in an internal initiative known as Project Mercury. The goal is to establish over 1,000 same-day fulfilment centres across the US by 2031, a significant increase from the current 85 facilities. This massive expansion aims to bring Amazon's vast product range within a 10-mile radius of 80% of its Prime subscribers.

The proposed plan targets areas where Walmart has an advantage in terms of physical store presence and proximity to customers. To achieve this, Amazon is developing smaller Same Day Fulfilment Centres that stock around 90,000 of its most popular products. The company also plans to establish smaller facilities through its Orbital system, which can process up to 75,000 same-day and perishable items daily.

The projected cost for this expansion is substantial, with Amazon allocating $6.8 billion for US same-day fulfilment capacity in 2026 and 2027. The company estimates that Project Mercury could generate a staggering $7.1 billion in economic value over the next decade. However, it's essential to note that these projections are still preliminary and subject to change.