Amazon announced April 30 that the company will invest over $4 billion by 2026 to triple its last-mile rural delivery network to improve delivery times for customers in less densely populated areas.

The investment will also grow Amazon’s rural delivery network footprint to over 200 delivery stations and enable Amazon to deliver over a billion more packages each year to customers living in over 13,000 zip codes spanning 1,200,000 square miles, according to the company.

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Amazon officials say it estimates the move will create over 100,000 new jobs and driving opportunities through a wide range of full-time, part-time and flexible positions in its buildings and on the roads.

“At a time where many logistics providers are backing away from serving rural customers because of cost to serve, we are stepping up our investment to make their lives easier and better,” Senior Vice President of Amazon Worldwide Operations Udit Madan said in a news release.
For more information on the expansion, check out Amazon’s announcement here.

This news follows two other expansion announcements this year, including the debut of a less-than-truckload service and a $15 billion plan to expand its warehouse network.

Lead Photo: Amazon