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Amazon to Spread in Illinois with New Fulfillment Center

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In a bid to meet increasing demand for online shopping, Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN - Free Report) announced its plan to open a fulfillment center in Monee, IL.

This new facility will spread across 850,000 square feet and create hundreds of full-time jobs. The facility will focus more on picking, packing and shipping smaller items, such as books, electronics and toys, to name a few.

Just recently, the company announced its plans to build its eighth fulfillment center in Coppell, spanning one million square feet.

Amazon stated that it pays competitive wages, and gives healthcare and other full-time benefits. In addition, the company offers programs, like Career Choice, to help employees pursue courses related to fields that are in demand.

The world’s largest online retailer has been strengthening its presence all over the world. To date, Amazon has created millions of full-time jobs and continues to hire manpower to meet growing customer demand.

Fulfillment centers are giant warehouses that help online retailers store and ship products and handle returns quickly. These are important for providing the level of service that customers have come to expect of Amazon.

Over the past few years, Amazon has invested heavily in setting up fulfillment centers across the country to cut shipping costs and speed up delivery. Prompt and accurate delivery of products is crucial to the success of online retail companies.

Small retailers that are unable to provide relatively cost-efficient shipping are also signing up for Amazon’s fulfillment services. Third parties also use Amazon’s warehouses and shipping services. These help online retailers in enhancing their revenue base and driving expansion.

In our view, Amazon must maintain its U.S. market share while expanding globally to retain its leading position. For this, the company needs to invest more in fulfillment as well as technology and content, especially in international markets with less penetration and higher growth rates.

Though increased expenses could hurt the company’s bottom line in the near term, we believe these are necessary to maintain its dominance in this highly competitive market.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, Amazon carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the same space are Stamps.com Inc. , Autobytel Inc. and PetMed Express (PETS - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

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