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Amazon has temporarily suspended the shipment of products from independent merchants to its warehouses unless they are medical supplies or “high-demand” items.
The deferral will run until April 5 in order for the e-commerce giant to prioritise delivering products to customers that are related to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are temporarily prioritising household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfilment centres so we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers,” an Amazon spokesperson told The Independent.
“We understand this is a change for our selling partners and appreciate their understanding as we temporarily prioritise these products for customers.”
Products that are already en route to Amazon warehouses will be accepted and shipped out, however, no new products will be accepted for the next three weeks.
Independent merchants still have the option to sell their products through Amazon without using the company’s warehouses. The demand for independent warehouse to ship out independent sellers’ products would likely increase. Sellers and vendors will be notified by Amazon once a decision has been made on returning to normal operations
Additionally, Amazon also announced yesterday (March 17) that it will hire 100,000 new employees in the US in response to the growing demand for its delivery services.
“We are opening 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the US in our fulfilment centres and delivery network to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon’s service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public,” the company explained in a post.
Employees who work on an hourly pay structure will also get a pay rise throughout April.
Meanwhile, coronavirus has hugely impacted the entertainment industry. As of today (March 17), New York City has close all movie theatres, concert venues, nightclubs and small theatres in a bid to tackle coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio described the disease as an “unprecedented threat”.
In the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson has advised people to stay away from clubs, pubs, restaurants, theatres and more to practise “non-essential” social contact and travelling. A petition has since been launched by The Music Venue Trust urging the government to give clarity and security on the matter – since by not forcing venues to shut, insurance claims may be invalid.
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