Dive Brief:

• Quiet Platforms, American Eagle's logistics arm, formally launched its delivery network that executives hope will become a fulfillment powerhouse competitive with Amazon.
• The Quiet Platforms Delivery Network gives small and mid-sized retailers access to more than 40 national, regional and local carriers covering all U.S. postal codes. A universal delivery label will eliminate the need for complex invoicing or lengthy contract negotiations, the company said in a release Tuesday.
• Quiet’s network will use technology to optimize deliveries and lower costs for shippers. Quiet estimates it can reduce delivery times by one to two days and costs by up to $1 per parcel.

Dive Insight:

Quiet Platforms hopes to streamline shipping services while also remaining competitive on speed and service. The company aims to reduce transportation delays, for example, by creating redundancy in key markets to preserve capacity during times of high demand.

“We are reimagining the way retailers and brands deliver service to their customers, while taking on the complexity of logistics,” said Shekar Natarajan, chief supply chain officer of American Eagle and head of Quiet Platforms. “We’re leveling the playing field by offering high-quality delivery experiences without prohibitively high investments in management and technology infrastructure.”

The launch of the Quiet Platforms delivery network comes as American Eagle buys up warehouses and inks new deals with delivery providers to boost its ability to provide end-to-end supply chain services.

Last month, Quiet Platforms said it expanded its fulfillment capacity with the launch of a sortation and fulfillment center in Atlanta. The facility will also leverage autonomous mobile robots.

In a move to accelerate services, Quiet Platforms also announced a partnership with DHL to offer a “date-definitive delivery” service. DHL will support the company in offering the ability for customers to schedule deliveries.

“Quiet Platforms is reinventing traditional approaches to fulfillment and delivery through innovations in technology,” said Quiet CTO Charles Griffith in a statement. “Providing the ability to dynamically adjust fulfillment and delivery decisions in real time based on an ever-changing set of constraints is something others have contemplated, but never achieved.”