FedEx severs ties with Amazon
FedEx is severing ties with Amazon as the online retailer builds out its own delivery fleet and becomes more of a threat.
The announcement Wednesday that FedEx would no longer make ground deliveries for Amazon comes two months after the delivery company said it was terminating its air delivery contract with Amazon.
Amazon.com Inc. is building up its own fleet of air and ground transportation to have more control of how its packages are delivered and cut its reliance on FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. The Seattle-based company has been leasing jets, building several package-sorting hubs at airports and has launched a program that lets contractors start businesses delivering packages in vans stamped with the Amazon logo.
Last month, FedEx warned for the first time in a government filing that Amazon’s fledging delivery business could hurt its revenue and “negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.”
https://www.apnews.com/2df90ffac24c442189d5fd9f1c83d470
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Response to SunSeeker (Reply #3)
Only a matter of time before they deploy Skynet! 
Response to lettucebe (Reply #7)
... and I have been for several years. So OK you can hate me if you want to, but they have solved many problems for me.
My point is that I haven't received any Amazon packages delivered by Fedex for at least 3 or 4 years. Lately everything is coming by the US Postal Service or by private unmarked van, and I'm sure it's a subcontractor making deliveries for Amazon exclusively.
Amazon has been setting up private subcontractors in cities where they have enough business to cover the cost. I'm sure that's true in Pittsburgh, and many larger metro areas. Amazon also uses UPS in some areas, for example in New York City.
Local retailers - I would love to support them - but they stop carrying certain things for whatever reason. Not enough business or whatever. I've always been able to find the products I need, or a reasonable alternative, on Amazon.
I'm retired now, but all the years I was working I didn't have time to drive around town looking for the one retailer that (maybe) has the thing that I need. What a waste of time and gasoline. Amazon has been a lifesaver for me and a lot of other people.
Amazon figured out how to do it, and now they're head and shoulders above everybody else.
or small FedEx subcontractors (not USPS, which is my favorite).
One in Florida set a Christmas box full of gifts from our daughter's family in the front of our carport, which terminates the country road our little vacation place is on, where no one could miss seeing it, instead of at either the front or rear porch, both right there, where deliveries are normally made because they're hidden and protected from weather. FedEx refused to reimburse the loss by dragging out the claim for half a year until it was court or forget it.
One set a package on the bottom step of our Georgia house, instead of up 4 steps on the porch, so it got soaked from rain.
One, this one's also good, apparently didn't feel like delivering to the house, which is completely out of sight at the top of the driveway. So the package was set at the bottom of our long, rural driveway tidily right in the middle (so we'd see it and not drive over it?). It was literally set where our pavement meets the road's, even more in sight of anyone who comes by and more private to assist thieves than the Florida carport. Fortunately, only a few neighbors are likely to come by and prominent placement did allow me to see it in the dusk in time hit the brakes.
So good riddance, FedEx.
Probably enough customers requested "anybody but Fedex delivery" and they figured out what a terrible job Fedex was doing.
I support our local retailers whenever I can. But as I stated in a post above yours, a lot of our local merchants are no longer carrying items they used to keep on hand. Or maybe it's a case of me having to drive all over town checking out 10 stores to see if I can find it somewhere. If/When I do find the item, the price is usually way more than I can get it for on Amazon. It's not worth time or a tank of gas doing that.
I don't usually shop at Walmart or mall stores, but I do try to support local merchants whom I know are reliable.
Maybe you're not aware of this, but Fedex will not accept any package unless it has a street address. They cannot deliver to a PO Box. I know this because I used to work for a company where I dealt with Fedex and UPS deliveries all the time. I'm retired now but that knowledge still comes in handy once in a while.
You need to notify the company you order from that it cannot be shipped via Fedex because you don't want it delivered to your home. (Perfectly reasonable IMO.) Amazon gives you the option of "store pickup", when you are giving them the shipping info, and when you select that you pick up your package at the closest UPS store. (It might not be a convenient location if you live away from a major city though.) Other vendors are different, you'll need to make arrangements with them.
I hope this helps.
It does turn out that FedEx uses Walgreens as drop off points around my area - but the vendor did not give me the option. I only found that out when I had to make a last minute order (for our trip to the UK where we are now) and Amazon DOES let you know that. Plus, one of the vendors for Amazon would not accept a PO Box, so I provided the street address. That was the week after the other deliver was finally found and a driver I didn't know dropped the package at the door, rang our bell, and left.
Since our driveway is nearly a quarter mile long, nothing has ever been stolen from the house. 
I have Amazon Prime. I placed the order on Monday.
I do it all the time with prime.