Amazon.com Inc said today it has halted its Prime Pantry delivery service in the United States to restock groceries, following a surge in online orders by shoppers worried about the
(removal of link)
pandemic.
'Amazon Pantry is not accepting new orders at this time while we work to fulfill open orders and restock items following increased demand,' a company spokesperson said.
The service, which sells non-perishable groceries from cereals to soaps, has seen huge demand despite consumers thronging supermarkets and grocery stores for everything from toilet papers and canned foods.
Amazon did not say when the service will be back, but said it was working with partners to get the items back in stock as quickly as possible.
The move comes after the company resorted to receive only vital supplies at its U.S. and UK and other European warehouses until April 5, as it tries to free up space for medical and household goods in high demand.
Merchants send products to Amazon to store in their warehouses until a shopper buys it. Amazon then packages the item and dispatches it to the customer.
These outlets can still sell phones, toys, bread makers, and other non-essentials on the website, but they will have to organise delivery themselves.
Items already in their warehouses - and those en route - will still be delivered, meaning consumers awaiting an order should still receive it providing it is already stocked.
But third-party retailers, which sell 60 per cent of all products on the platform, have warned that a lack of their own personal storage space will likely see a fall in stock over the coming weeks.
The new measures, which also apply in the United States, came as Amazon employees were asked to work overtime to keep up with panic-buying deliveries.
In a statement, the Seattle-based website said: 'We are seeing increased online shopping and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock.
'With this in mind, we are 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 ship these products to customers.'
High-demand products that will now be prioritized include: baby products, health and household items, beauty and personal care products, groceries, industrial items and pet supplies.
Online shopping is ramping up as officials impose curfews and lockdowns on areas most hit by the virus.
NON-ESSENTIAL ITEMS:
- Arts, Crafts & Sewing
- Automotive & Motorcycle
- Books
- Camera & Photo
- Cell Phones & Accessories
- Computers & Accessories
- Costumes & Accessories
- Electronics
- Fashion
- Furniture
- Home Audio
- Home Improvement
- Kitchen
- Luggage Travel Gear
- Magazines
- Major Appliances
- Shoes
- Watches
- Movies & TV
- Musical Instruments
- Office Electronics & Supplies
- Patio, Lawn & Garden
- Power & Hand Tools
- Software
- Sports & Outdoors
- Television & Video
- Toys & Games
- Video Games
- EVERYTHING ELSE
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