Amazon to prioritize bringing in household goods, medical supplies due to coronavirus demand

Credit: Todd McInturf/Detroit News via AP, File

Credit: Todd McInturf/Detroit News via AP, File

Amazon has announced it will temporarily be suspending shipments for all products except for household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into its fulfillment centers due to increased demand because of the coronavirus.

“Fulfillment centers” is what the company calls its warehouses where it receives inventory from manufacturers.

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In an article on its Seller Central website the company said that after the spread of coronavirus there was a rise in online shopping, which caused household products and medical products to run out of stock.

So, by halting all incoming shipments except for those most-demanded products, Amazon said it hopes to “more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers.”

This policy will be in effect through April 5, the article said.

This policy does not seem like it will impede people ordering from stock already in Amazon’s warehouses, however. In a post to the Amazon blog updated on Tuesday, the company said that it will continue taking orders and shipping items from across its store.

On the other hand, it also encouraged customers to help others by using the No-Rush Shipping so that the company can consolidate orders and make fewer stops, as well as serve people with critical needs first.

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