Logistics: Amazon looks at empty department stores

Amazon is talking with the country’s largest mall owner about turning empty department stores into fulfillment centers, said Esther Fung and Sebastian Herrera in The Wall Street Journal. The e-commerce giant is trying to “add more distribution hubs near residential areas to speed up the crucial last mile of delivery.” Discussions this week with Simon Property Group, the mall landlord, have focused on spaces once anchored by JCPenney and Sears, both of which have filed for bankruptcy. But a deal would “signal a break from a longtime business model for malls: reliance on a large department store to draw foot traffic.”