Amazon, Uber pose threat to FedEx, UPS delivery monopoly

Marketwatch reports:

Legacy delivery companies like FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. played a huge role in the decline of the U.S. Postal Service, but it’s time for them to pay the piper--technology has brought them face-to-face with their own competitive threat: Amazon.com Inc., Uber and other startups.

Mobility, brought upon by the proliferation of smartphones, apps and connected devices, has created a climate of instant gratification and given way to a fast-growing market for on-demand delivery services, such as Postmates.

The millennial generation is much less loyal to legacy brands than generations past. Data shows consumers are hungrier for better, faster and more transparent services--from shipping to cable--and don’t much care who provides it.

In a study of 2,000 U.S. consumers released this week by Acquity Group, 64% said they would pay a premium for faster delivery. Roughly 75% said they would be open to receiving deliveries from third parties, but just 12% reported using pop-up next-generation services, such as Postmates, so far.

Acquity said that gap presents significant opportunities for tech and crowdsourcing companies, assuming they can maintain their competitive advantage.

The struggle against the monopolists.