Amazon Stops Shipments of ‘Non-Essential’ Items

Amazon announced it will suspend stocking non-essential items at distribution centers to focus on “high-demand” critical items. The suspension is slated to last until April 5.

In a memo obtained by Breitbart News, Amazon announced it is “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.”

Amazon will now focus on delivering products in the following categories:

• baby products;
• health and household (including personal-care appliances);
• beauty and personal care;
• industrial and scientific, and
• pet supplies.

“For products other than these, we have temporarily disabled shipment creation,” the Amazon memo continues. “We are taking a similar approach with retail vendors.”

It appears the suspension of certain items only applies to items that are “fulfilled by Amazon.” Orders that are fulfilled by the reseller will continue as usual.

Amazon leadership said the policy is effective immediately and will continue until April 5. “We will let you know once we resume regular operations.”

“We understand this is a change to your business, and we did not take this decision lightly,” the Amazon memo concluded. “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.”

“Amazon is taking drastic measures to address logistical challenges faced amid the coronavirus pandemic,” Steven Yates, CEO of Prime Guidance, an agency that helps Amazon sellers, said, according to a report by 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.”

Originally published on Breitbart Texas. Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.