Thursday March 19, 2020
As independent retailers wonder how they will survive the current crisis and scramble to remain connected to their customers, big retail has problems of its own. Amazon has gone to what is essentially a coronavirus war footing, ending incoming shipments of goods outside of key categories, both from third-party sellers and on its own behalf.
Note: We've clarified this article as of 12:46 p.m., March 18: Amazon's shipment restrictions and prioritizations affect only incoming shipments to Amazon, and not outgoing shipments from Amazon. Amazon is temporarily suspending its handling of incoming shipments on non-essential goods from third party sellers to its fulfilled-by-Amazon service, and from its own suppliers, but will continue to take orders and ship from existing inventory on non-essential goods.

The key categories Amazon is prioritizing are:

• Baby Products
• Health & Household
• Beauty & Personal Care (including personal care appliances)
• Grocery
• Industrial & Scientific
• Pet Supplies

CONTINUE READING