Amazon's next move could reshape how America shops — all over again

Key Points:

• Amazon's Project Mercury aims to expand its same-day delivery network from about 85 facilities to over 1,000 by 2031, focusing on placing specialized fulfillment centers within 10 miles of 80% of US Prime subscribers to compete with Walmart's physical store advantage.
• The initiative involves building hundreds of smaller "Orbital" warehouses, each about 100,000 square feet, designed to process large volumes of same-day and perishable items, with an estimated capital spend of $48.4 million per facility.
• Amazon projects that same-day delivery through these new centers will account for 28% of its fulfilled volume by 2029 and 50% by 2035, with most packages delivered within a five-hour window.
• The company has budgeted $6.8 billion for capacity expansion in 2026-2027 and forecasts Project Mercury could generate $7.1 billion in economic value over 10 years, potentially turning cash-flow positive by 2030.
• Amazon views faster delivery as a key driver to increase customer purchase frequency and loyalty, aiming to reshape everyday retail by bringing popular products dramatically closer to consumers.