Bad news for postal operators as Amazon launches delivery service - report

Amazon plans to launch a postal delivery service for businesses in the US, which could spell bad news for the likes of Royal Mail's Parcelforce arm and European rivals DPD and Hermes.

Reports emerged on Friday that the disruptive US online retail colossus would launch its "Shipping with Amazon" service in coming weeks, where it will pick up packages from businesses and ship them to consumers.

Amazon will roll out the new delivery service in Los Angeles in coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, offering the service to third-party merchants that sell goods via its website, sources said.

The retailer plans to expand the service to more cities in 2018, some of the sources said.