Owing to the coronavirus outbreak and its consequent home-isolation across the globe, American multinational e-commerce company Amazon has reportedly adopted sweeping changes as to which products it will store and ship from its warehouses over the next few weeks, in a move to keep essential products in stock and accelerate the delivery of orders.

Apparently, the company has decided to temporarily prioritize household staples, medical supplies, and other essential products. However, this decision may largely affect many third-party sellers who completely rely on Amazon’s warehouse to reach the end consumer.

Reportedly, the company is stocking up on products like dog food and soap and may experience shipping delays on other less necessary items like electronic goods and apparel.

The company recently announced that it will be employing an additional 100,000 workers across the US to cater to the rising demand. Amazon has also decided to raise the pay of its employees operating in Canada, the U.S., and the UK by a minimum of US$2 per hour through the end of April.

According to another recent news, the company had extended its sick leave policy and established a relief fund to raise US$25 million for independent delivery drivers and seasonal workers who are affected by COVID-19.

For the record, more than 125,000 people work in the Amazon fulfillment centers across North America.

As of now, the e-commerce giant continues to deliver non-essential commodities that are available in its warehouses. However, the company has denied restocking these items at least for the next three weeks.

Citing reliable sources, although third-party providers may continue to take orders, they can no longer rely on the Fulfilled by Amazon service- a platform initiated by the company that stores, packs, and ships the products.

According to statistics, nearly 94% of the merchants on Amazon use the ‘fulfilled by Amazon’ service for certain orders while 64% of them solely rely on the services.

Source Credits:  https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-warehouse-essential-goods-only/