Amazon announced a freeze on nonessential items to its warehouses in the United States and the United Kingdom as the company grapples with shortages of household products.
A spokesperson for the retail giant told the Hill that it is shifting its focus to providing medical supplies, household products, and other high-demand items to customers. The halt will be effective Tuesday until April 5, although that could be extended given the extraordinary circumstances.
“We are seeing increased online shopping and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock,” the spokesperson said Tuesday. “With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so we can more quickly receive, restock and ship these products to customers.”
Items already being shipped to warehouses will still be accepted.
The move follows the company’s Monday announcement that it would hire 100,000 new workers to fill openings for delivery drivers and warehouse employees. Additionally, the company said it would raise hourly pay from $15 to $17 for employees at U.S. locations.
“We are seeing a significant increase in demand, which means our labor needs are unprecedented for this time of year,” Dave Clark, Amazon’s senior vice president of operations, wrote in a memo.
The company announced last week that it had expanded its sick leave policies for all workers, including part-time employees.
In the U.S., there have been 5,702 cases of the coronavirus, 17 recoveries, and 94 deaths, according to the latest reading by the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Worldwide, that number balloons to at least 194,217 cases, about 81,000 recoveries, and 7,846 deaths.
