獨家：消息人士稱亞馬遜押注印度快速配送熱潮，將投入30億美元

阿迪蒂亞・卡爾拉（Aditya Kalra）與葛瑞格・本辛格（Greg Bensinger）報導By Aditya Kalra and Greg Bensinger

新德里／舊金山，9月24日（路透）——兩名消息人士表示，美國電商零售商亞馬遜（Amazon）將在2030年前投資30億美元，擴大其印度快速商務業務。這是亞馬遜迄今對該領域下的最大賭注；在這個市場中，競爭對手已透過普及數分鐘內送達的服務而搶先一步。NEW DELHI/SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 24 (Reuters) - US e-commerce retailer Amazon will invest $3 billion to expand its India quick commerce business by 2030, two sources said, its biggest bet yet on a sector where rivals have raced ahead by popularising deliveries within minutes.

被稱為「快速商務」（quick commerce）的即時配送產業，已成為快速成長的力量，並重塑印度都市居民的購物方式；從牛奶、巧克力到iPhone與電子產品，各類商品過去只能在零售店購買，或在需要等待配送的主要電商網站下單。The instant deliveries sector, dubbed "quick commerce", has become a rapidly growing force and reshaped how urban Indians shop for everything from milk and chocolates to iPhones and electronics, which were once only bought from retail stores or major e-commerce websites where deliveries took time.

主導印度電商市場的沃爾瑪（Walmart）旗下Flipkart與亞馬遜，都是快速商務的後進者。根據Datum Intelligence，這個190億美元的產業規模預計到2030年將成長逾一倍，達到410億美元。Walmart's Flipkart and Amazon, which dominate India's e-commerce space, are late entrants in quick commerce. The $19 billion sector is set to more than double in size to $41 billion by 2030, according to Datum Intelligence.

兩名直接了解計畫的人士表示，亞馬遜計畫在2027年底前向快速商務領域投資10億美元，並在2030年前再投資20億美元。這項投資計畫先前尚未被報導。Amazon plans to invest $1 billion in the quick commerce sector by the end of 2027, and another $2 billion by 2030, two people with direct knowledge of the plans said. The planned investment has not previously been reported.

亞馬遜拒絕評論規劃中的投資金額。不過，這家零售商表示，其快速商務業務過去3個月的年化總銷售額已突破10億美元，「使其成為亞馬遜印度史上成長最快的電商業務」。Amazon declined to comment on the planned investment numbers. The retailer, however, said its quick commerce business has crossed $1 billion in annualised gross sales over the past three months, "making it the fastest-growing e-commerce business in Amazon India's history."

增加更多小型社區倉庫MORE SMALL NEIGHBOURHOOD WAREHOUSES

兩名消息人士表示，這項投資計畫的一大重點，是在現有Amazon Now服務網絡中新增小型社區倉庫，訂單將從這些倉庫快速出貨。由於計畫屬於機密，兩人均要求匿名。A key focus of the planned investment will be adding new small neighbourhood warehouses to the current Amazon Now service network from where deliveries are shipped quickly, said both sources, who declined to be identified as the plan is confidential.

第一名消息人士說：「擴張需要資金。」"Expansion needs money," the first source said.

亞馬遜將印度視為關鍵成長市場，並正在當地擴展資料中心、雲端與電商業務。Amazon counts India as a key growth market, where it is expanding its data centre, cloud and e-commerce businesses.

但亞馬遜也面臨印度對外資電商公司的嚴格監管，以及一樁仍在審理中的2024年案件；在該案中，反壟斷監管機關認定亞馬遜偏袒特定賣家、違反法律，而亞馬遜否認這些指控。But it also faces India's tight regulations for foreign e-commerce companies and a pending 2024 case in which it was found by the antitrust watchdog to have given preference to select sellers in breach of the law — allegations it denies.

自2022年以來，這個產業崛起之際，也伴隨外界對騎士安全的憂慮升高，因為機車騎士為了快速送達訂單，在住宅區內疾駛。今年1月，印度政府下令企業停止以「10分鐘」服務宣傳這類營運模式。The sector's rise since 2022 coincided with growing concerns about rider safety as bikers zip through residential areas to deliver orders fast. India's government in January ordered companies to stop promoting such operations as "10-minute" services.

Datum數據顯示，印度本土巨頭Eternal旗下Blinkit、Swiggy，以及準備首次公開發行股票（IPO）的Zepto，合計掌握77%的市場，營運門市總數超過4,500家；沃爾瑪旗下Flipkart則有超過1,000家門市，市占率為11%。Domestic giants Eternal's Blinkit, Swiggy and IPO-bound Zepto control 77% of the market, together operating more than 4,500 stores, while Walmart's Flipkart has more than 1,000 and an 11% market share, Datum data shows.

亞馬遜市占率僅6.2%。第一名消息人士表示，亞馬遜的目標是到明年4月將門市數量從目前約750家增至約1,300家。Amazon has only a 6.2% market share. The first source said Amazon was targeting around 1,300 stores by April next year, from around 750 now.

聚焦日常必需品，但面臨挑戰DAILY ESSENTIALS FOCUS WITH CHALLENGES

第一名人士補充說，其他主要支出領域將包括強化門市庫存管理軟體、部署用於需求預測的AI工具，以及擴大商品選擇。The other key areas of spending, the first person added, will be strengthening inventory management software at stores, deploying AI tools for demand prediction and expanding product selection.

這名人士說：「重點將放在日常必需品。如果某項訂單不太可能重複發生，亞馬遜目前不打算在快速商務中備貨。」他也藉此說明，為何亞馬遜不像其快速商務競爭對手那樣備有iPhone庫存。"The focus will be daily essentials. If the order is unlikely to be repeated, Amazon does not plan to stock it right now in quick commerce," said the person, explaining why Amazon does not stock iPhones like its quick commerce rivals.

伯恩斯坦（Bernstein）在7月的一份報告中警告，由於平均訂單金額偏低，單靠雜貨無法涵蓋快速商務的高成本，而「非雜貨品項價格較高、利潤也較高」。Bernstein in a July note warned that groceries alone cannot cover the high costs of quick commerce as average order values are low, and "non-grocery items carry higher prices and higher margins."

其中一名消息人士表示，對於批評者認為亞馬遜錯失先機，亞馬遜並不認同。該公司當時希望把模式做對，例如在每家門市設置冷藏室，而不只是放一台冰箱。Amazon does not agree with critics who say it missed the bus, one of the sources said. The company wanted to get the model right, such as having a cold storage room in each store and not just a refrigerator.

Datum Intelligence創辦人薩蒂什・米納（Satish Meena）表示，亞馬遜要追上提供優質服務且擁有忠誠顧客的競爭對手並不容易，但它可以吸引其購物網站顧客轉向快速配送。Satish Meena, founder of Datum Intelligence, said it will not be easy for Amazon to catch up with rivals who offer quality service and have loyal customers, but it could lure their shopping website customers to fast deliveries.

設於亞馬遜主App內的Amazon Now服務，目前對部分499盧比（5.20美元）以上的首批訂單提供20%現金回饋折扣，並對特定顧客提供99盧比（1美元）以上訂單免運。The Amazon Now service, which sits within the main Amazon app, is currently offering a 20% cashback discount on some initial orders above 499 rupees ($5.20), and free delivery above 99 rupees ($1) for select customers.

米納說：「亞馬遜花了一些時間才下定決心。它似乎已意識到，這是必須投資的模式。他們正在做折扣，這有助於吸引現有亞馬遜顧客轉向快速商務。」"It took some time for Amazon to commit. There appears to be a realisation that this is a model they have to invest in," Meena said. "They are doing discounts, which can help lure current Amazon customers to quick commerce."

（阿迪蒂亞・卡爾拉報導；Jacqueline Wong編輯）(Reporting by Aditya Kalra; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)