Amazon Suspends Warehouse Shipping on Non-Essential Products and Social Media Explodes

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The message shared that Amazon will currently only accept "high-demand products" due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock," the email said. "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 deliver these products to customers."

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The new mandate does not affect last-mile shipments of those products to consumers but means that sellers who use Amazon's storage and delivery network for a fixed fee will no longer be able to ship non-essential products to the company. In addition, first-party vendors who wholesale their products will also see similar changes.

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After the news was announced, Amazon customers immediately began reacting on social media. Some were worried about the potential ramifications of the decision on their purchasing habits.

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Others understood the company's decision in the wake of the pandemic.

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Some had jokes.

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It's important to clarify that Amazon is only suspending shipments to its warehouse, not shipments to customers. That means that the only things going to the warehouse are medical supplies and household staples. The decision was made after customers began buying high-demand items that quickly went out of stock. Independent merchants will still have the option to sell their products through Amazon but must find another warehouse to ship their products during the interim.

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

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