Students discover the logistics world of Amazon in Vienna Liesing

Students discover the logistics world of Amazon in Vienna Liesing

On November 5, 2024, students from the Wiener Neustadt University of Applied Sciences (FHWN) visited the Amazon distribution center in Vienna Liesing to gain a practical insight into logistics processes and operations. This excursion is part of the cooperation between Amazon and the FHWN to offer students valuable experience in e-commerce. The students learned how over 1,500 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Austria benefit from the company's services.

Florian Brezina, the site manager of the distribution center, explained how his team - consisting of more than 120 employees and numerous drivers from local delivery partners - ensures that the packages are delivered to customers on time and reliably. “The individual work steps, from goods receipt to delivery, mesh perfectly,” commented Brezina.

Exclusive insights into e-commerce

Rainer Neuwirth, head of the master's program in e-commerce at the FHWN, emphasized the importance of such visits: "The partnership with Amazon allows us to supplement the theoretical basics of e-commerce taught in the course with valuable practical knowledge. Excursions like today create unique opportunities for our students to exchange ideas directly with experts and learn from them."

A particularly impressive part of the event was the explanation of how companies can sell their products through Amazon. More than 350 SMEs from Lower Austria currently use this platform to sell their products. In 2023, these over 2 million items sold generated an impressive export turnover of more than 70 million euros. In total, over 2,500 Austrian SMEs earned over 610 million euros through the Amazon Marketplace in 2023.

A notable example of success on the platform is the company Yosana from Hollabrunn, which offers sustainably produced yoga mats and accessories. The founders Angelique and Christoph Sturmlechner reported on their growth: "We generated sales of 10,000 euros in just the second month. Since then, we have at least doubled our sales with the existing product portfolio every year."

Resources for SMEs

Astrid Reichhold-Hahn, another participant and founder of “Fünfsinne Wohlfühlkosmetik”, also mentioned how Amazon offered her a platform as a beautician: “I was able to start selling while on maternity leave with little effort.” Your “Dermipura” care line has become well established thanks to Amazon.

In addition, students benefit from Amazon’s e-learning platform “Quickstart Online”, which was launched in collaboration with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. Here, entrepreneurs can use teaching materials on e-commerce topics to expand their digital presence. So far, over 50,000 entrepreneurs from Austria and Germany have benefited from these free seminars.

The excursion and the information provided show how important Amazon is as a platform for the development and distribution of products for SMEs in the region. What is particularly encouraging are the many success stories that underline the advantages of such a digital foothold.

Further information about this excursion and the opportunities for companies can be found here.