Amazon is now second in the world in a ranking of logistics companies by size.
Armstrong & Associates’ 3PL Market Analysis said the online retailer had 160m sq ft of warehouse space, second only to DHL, which has 248m sq ft.
“Amazon is now second on our list with 160 million square feet of space. Of course, Amazon is a mix of private and third-party logistics space,” said the report.
XPO Logistics (3), Nippon Express (4), CEVA Logistics (5) and DB Schenker (5) make up the rest of the top five.
Global 3PL revenues reached $802bn in 2016 and are on track to exceed $962bn in 2020. The numbers reflect greater outsourcing to 3PLs in developed, more economically sophisticated countries, said the report.
Countries with the largest logistics spends are China ($1.6tn) and the US ($1.5tn).
Top five 3PL providers by warehouse space:
1. DHL (248m sq ft)
2. Amazon (159.9 sq ft, includes fulfillment and data centres)
3. XPO Logistics (157.5m sq ft)
4. Nippon Express (97.1m sq ft)
5. CEVA Logistics (86.1m sq ft)
5. DB Schenker (86.1m sq ft)