Buzz
If you've been facing difficulties finding everyday items like toilet paper and hand soap at your local grocery store or big-box retailer, the internet may have been a welcome relief. At least you can still get household goods online and have them delivered to your doorstep, right? While large social gatherings may be restricted, Amazon's delivery vans are still out in full force, servicing your neighborhood.
However, recent news regarding limited Amazon shipments may leave you wondering whether you can still shop for essentials (or your preferred nonessentials) from the e-commerce leader.
Amazon has announced a temporary halt in shipments of certain items to its warehouses. But for the time being, it’s unlikely to affect what or when you can place orders.
Here’s what Amazon shared on its blog this week regarding its shipment priorities:
As COVID-19 has spread, we've seen a significant rise in online shopping, which has impacted our service. Therefore, in the short term, we have decided to temporarily prioritize essential household items, medical supplies, and other high-demand products at our fulfillment centers. This allows us to quickly restock and ship these goods to our customers. We're working tirelessly with our partners to maintain availability of these crucial products and are expanding capacity to meet demand and fulfill orders.
Amazon sellers who send their products to Amazon for distribution to customers have been instructed to delay new inventory shipments until early April, unless the items fall into specific categories, as per a memo obtained by AdAge. Cleaning products, medical supplies, and food are the main exceptions.
Nonessential items that have already been shipped to Amazon will still be accepted and sold as usual. Sellers who handle their own shipping are not facing any restrictions at the moment.
If you were planning to purchase a baseball glove or a laptop on Amazon, you may notice fewer options available. However, it’s unlikely that Amazon will run out of nonessential items while focusing on restocking the most in-demand goods. In addition to shipping third-party seller items, Amazon also sells and ships a significant amount of its own inventory.
Amazon is ramping up its warehouse hiring to handle the surge in orders from people staying home in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the company advises customers to opt for slower shipping when possible: “Selecting the No-Rush option allows us to consolidate orders, reduce neighborhood stops throughout the week, and, most importantly, prioritize customers with the most urgent needs first,” according to Amazon's blog.
