Amazon.com, Seattle, yesterday debuted its computer channel after signing a deal with Ingram Micro Inc., a fulfillment company that will handle and ship orders from www.amazon.com/computers.
Ingram Micro, Santa Clara, CA, will support the computer channel with Amazon-branded boxes, packing slips and marketing materials. The fulfillment firm had been preparing Amazon orders for its electronics channel previously. Financial terms of the expanded relationship were not disclosed.
The Ingram deal also builds on a trend by Amazon to outsource some of its fulfillment responsibilities.
Amazon.com in August said that it would begin making some electronic purchases at its site available for pickup at Circuit City's 600 stores. The service, set to launch in November, will be available on electronics sold by Amazon that also are carried in Circuit City stores. Customers will be able to have the items shipped by Amazon or pick them up at their nearest Circuit City store. Circuit City will pay Amazon a percentage of the sales generated via www.amazon.com.
And in June, Amazon signed a deal with Ingram Book Group, La Vergne, TN, which has begun handling the online retailer's single-book orders when it does not have the book available in its inventory.
