Amid Coronoravirus outbreak, Amazon suspends non-essential product supplies
New York/IBNS: In a move to stock enough necessary items and free up inventory space amid the Coronavirus scare, Amazon.com Inc has announced to suspend sellers from sending non-essential products to its US and UK warehouses until April 5, media reports said.
In a note sent to sellers on Tuesday, Amazon said it is witnessing increasing online shopping demand from consumers to avoid physical stores.
"As COVID-19 has spread, we've recently seen an increase in people shopping online which has had an impact on how we serve our customers. So in the short term, we are making the decision to temporarily prioritize household staples, medical supplies and other high demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so we can more quickly receive, restock and ship these products to customers," Amazon said in a statement.
Amazon identified five categories as essential products that can continue shipping, including Baby Product, Health & Household, Beauty & Personal Care, Grocery, Industrial & Scientific, Pet Supplies.
The e-commerce marketplace has also stated that it will ensure that no seller raises price amid high demand.
"We're also working to ensure that no one artificially raises prices on basic need products during this pandemic and have blocked or removed tens of thousands of items, in line with our long-standing policy. We actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policy," said the company.
"Prime Now, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market delivery customers always have the option to select "unattended delivery" during checkout if they prefer not to come into contact with others. Orders not containing alcohol are eligible for unattended delivery, and will be left in a location specified by the customer," it added.
The virus declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has infected more than 190,000 people and killed over 6,600 globally.
(Image credit : UNI)
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