Exploring the relationship between urban form and spatial organisation of Amazon fulfilment facilities in the United Kingdom and Japan

Abstract Logistics facilities dedicated to e-commerce operations have recently emerged in parallel to the rapid growth of the B2C e-commerce sector. This study aims to explore the spatial organisation and locational characteristics of such e-commerce logistics, by relating them with urban form. The study performs a spatial analysis with geo-referenced location data of Amazon logistics facilities in Japan and the United Kingdom (UK). Amazon expanded fulfilment centres at many locations as part of its logistics system. The findings determine the spatial distribution pattern of logistics with urban form and describe locational characteristics at facility locations in both countries.