Amazon announced that it will stop all inbound shipments of non-essential items to its warehouse until April 5. Due to the rapid demand for specific items only medical supplies, household staples, and other high-demand products will be able to be shipped to Amazon warehouses.
The suspension of shipments of non-essential items will give Amazon the chance to more quickly re-stock high demand items and ship them to those impacted by the coronavirus.
“Amazon is taking drastic measures to address logistical challenges faced amid the coronavirus pandemic,” Steven Yates, CEO of Prime Guidance, an agency that aids Amazon sellers, told Business Insider. “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.”
Items that are still accepted by fulfillment centers include:
- Baby Products
- Health & Household
- Beauty & Personal Care (including personal care appliances)
- Grocery
- Industrial & Scientific
- Pet Supplies
Non-essential items that are not a part of the above list, but are already at an Amazon fulfillment warehouse, as well as shipments sent before March 17, can continue to be sold by sellers via the Amazon site. However, future inbound shipping on these items will cease.
Amazon assures sellers who are concerned about how the shipment shutdown will negatively affect their business that they are “working around the clock to increase capacity” at their fulfillment centers. Monday Amazon announced that it will open 100,000 full-time and part-time positions across the U.S. to keep up with their fulfillment centers’ demands.
For more information on the temporary shipment block visit Amazon Seller Central.
