Amazon has suspended shipments of all "nonessential" products to its warehouses amid the worsening coronavirus crisis.
According to Business Insider, the electronics and e-commerce giant informed sellers about the move on Tuesday, and that it was necessary due to the company's increase in workload following the COVID-19 outbreak.
This does not apply to medical supplies, household necessities, and other high-demand products, which Amazon will be prioritizing until April 5.
People are now looking to e-commerce sites like Amazon to stockpile toilet paper to avoid chaos in the toiletries aisle, as shown in this leaked security footage:Business Insider also reports that this new move does not apply to last-mile deliveries to customers, but just shipments to Amazon's warehouses.
A spokesperson for the global retailer told CNBC it has seen a significant increase in consumers buying online, which has led to some products, namely household necessities and medical supplies going out of stock.
"We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock," the spokesman said. "With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers."
This is the moment former Disney star Hilary Duff slams the "millennial a**holes" who are "still partying" instead of self-isolating:Amazon will now be prioritizing shipment based on the following categories: baby products, health and household (including personal-care appliances), beauty and personal care, grocery, industrial and scientific and pet supplies.
"Amazon is taking drastic measures to address logistical challenges faced amid the coronavirus pandemic," Steven Yates, CEO of Prime Guidance said. "Amazon has struggled to keep up with demand on essential items, so this move will allow them to focus more available resources to meet this increased demand."
This is the message Amazon sent to sellers regarding the move:
"Hello from Fulfillment by Amazon,
We are closely monitoring the developments of COVID-19 and its impact on our customers, selling partners, and employees.
We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock. With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers.
For products other than these, we have temporarily disabled shipment creation. We are taking a similar approach with retail vendors.
This will be in effect today through April 5, 2020, and we will let you know once we resume regular operations. Shipments created before today will be received at fulfillment centers.
You can learn more about this on this Help page. Please note that Selling Partner Support does not have further guidance.
We understand this is a change to your business, and we did not take this decision lightly. We are working around the clock to increase capacity and yesterday announced that we are opening 100,000 new full- and part-time positions in our fulfillment centers across the US.
We appreciate your understanding as we prioritize the above products for our customers.
Thank you for your patience, and for participating in FBA."
