Amazon may deliver its own packages

The online retailer is reportedly planning a new service to pick up packages and deliver them to consumers.

Amazon has already shown that it can rattle the retail, grocery and health insurance industries, and now it is doing the same in the delivery business.

The online retailer is reportedly planning a new service to pick up packages from businesses and deliver them to consumers.

The service, called “Shipping With Amazon,” is expected to start in Los Angeles in the coming weeks and roll out more broadly as soon as this year, according to The Wall Street Journal , which cited anonymous sources.

Amazon, which has been edging into the delivery business for some time, would not confirm the report — but didn’t deny it either.

“We’re always innovating and experimenting on behalf of customers and the businesses that sell and grow on Amazon to create faster lower-cost delivery choices,” said Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish.

Shares of delivery giants UPS and FedEx slipped Friday, but so did Amazon’s stock as analysts expressed caution about the difficulty of building a competitive delivery network.

Amazon’s interest in the delivery business has percolated ever since Amazon packages were delivered late at Christmas in 2013. Amazon helped fuel the boom in online shopping, but those millions of packages are straining the networks of UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service.