Amazon is planning to launch its own full delivery service later this year

Amazon is planning to take even more control over the journey your purchased products take to your door, according to reports – the giant retail and tech company is said to be plotting to launch its own full-scale delivery service at some point during 2018.

The Wall Street Journal says the new service will take on the likes of UPS and FedEx by picking up packages from businesses who sell on its site and delivering them to customers. It's not the first time such a rumor has surfaced, but it seems Amazon is now ready to start putting the plan into practice, starting with a limited roll out.

Apparently the scheme has already begun operating in London, and will arrive in Los Angeles next. It follows on from the service Amazon already offers of delivering products for companies that store goods in Amazon warehouses en route to customers.

Wait by the door

Shipping With Amazon, or SWA, as the service is said to be called, will give Amazon full control over pretty much every step of the process of getting goods from A to B, whether or not they pass through its warehouses.

As yet there's nothing official from the company itself but we know Amazon is keen on making the delivery process as smooth as possible. Jeff Bezos and his team are already way down the line in testing drone deliveries, and there are also plans afoot to bring boxes to your front door with the help of self-driving cars.

For customers, not much will really change – you'll still click through to confirm your purchase on the Amazon site and get whatever it is you've bought turn up at your home – but it's another step forward in Amazon's bid to control every aspect of its deliveries.