The Footprint of E-commerce and the Distribution Network of Amazon
The Texas A&M Energy Institute and the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy are hosting a Special Joint Seminar on Transport & Logistics that will feature Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a professor in the Department of Global Studies & Geography at Hofstra University, as well as a Distinguished Fellow in the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University. The webinar will be held on Monday, January 23, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CST (UTC -6:00) in the Frederick E. Giesecke Engineering Research Building (GERB) Third Floor Conference Room and through a Zoom Meeting. The topic will be “The Footprint of E-commerce and the Distribution Network of Amazon.”
Abstract
The emergence of e-commerce as a dominant retail paradigm is associated with a rapid shift in the commercial footprint from stores to distribution centers. Forms of distributional-based consumption are emerging where the demand is contingent upon logistical capabilities.
The presentation relies on a geographical analysis of more than 900 distribution facilities operated by Amazon in the United States, including characteristics such as their size, function, and location. The temporal and geographical evolution of Amazon’s distribution network relates to the goal of expanding volumes as well as improving the performance of the system, allowing Amazon to offer second-day delivery services in a growing number of markets. The question remains about the environmental and energy sustainability of e-commerce.
Biography
Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue’s research interests mainly cover the fields of transportation and economics as they relate to logistics and global freight distribution. Specific topics over which he has published extensively cover maritime transport systems and logistics, global supply chains, gateways, and transport corridors. He ranks among the top 2% most cited scholars in the world and among the top 100 in the field of transport and logistics.
Dr. Rodrigue developed a widely used online reference textbook about transportation, the Geography of Transport Systems, now in its fifth edition. His co-authored textbook, Port Economics, Management and Policy, was published in January 2022. In 2019, he was the recipient of the Edward L. Ullman Award for outstanding contribution to the field of transport geography by the Association of American Geographers. In 2022, Dr. Rodrigue was appointed Distinguished Fellow at the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study / Department of Maritime Administration, Texas A&M University.