Amazon is reportedly ready to start shipping nonessential items again


Fear not: Everything you used to go out in public for will reportedly soon end up at your door once again.
When the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed its warehouses and delivery capabilities, Amazon deprioritized shipments of "nonessential" items and blocked third-party sellers from restocking those products. But after hiring thousands of warehouse and delivery workers over the past few weeks, Amazon is ready to get back to normal, people familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal.
Even before social distancing measures became widespread and deterred Americans from going to stores themselves, Amazon saw a massive surge in orders amid the new coronavirus' rise. That led the company to tell third-party sellers on March 16 it would only accept shipments of "household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products," which it would in turn ship out to shoppers. Third-party sellers protested the decision, saying it would devastate their businesses.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Amazon also announced on March 16 it was hiring 100,000 more warehouse, distribution, and delivery workers to accommodate the influx. The company's hiring spree seems to have filled some much-needed gaps, and so it "will allow more products into our fulfillment centers" later this week, an Amazon spokesperson told the Journal. "Products will be limited by quantity to enable us to continue prioritizing products and protecting employees, while also ensuring most selling partners can ship goods into our facilities."
Workers at a Staten Island, New York, Amazon warehouse recently held a strike to protest the company's handling of an employee's coronavirus case; employees at the Amazon-owned grocery chain Whole Foods also called in sick en masse to demand increased workplace protections.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores