Due to increased demand for essential products during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Amazon Prime deliveries for certain goods may now take up to a month.
While Prime deliveries usually take one to two days to arrive in the United States, shoppers and sellers are now noticing increased delays. Amazon says it shifted its supply and delivery chain to facilitate "stocking and delivering items that are a higher priority for our customers." The company added that the rearrangements have resulted in delivery promises being pushed back.
The slowdown comes as shoppers, relegated to their houses in order to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19, rely more than usual on Amazon for the staples of everyday life. Amazon has rushed to keep up with the demand, even as its warehouse workers worry about the pandemic themselves. The company is planning on hiring 100,000 more workers to help meet the increased demand.
It is unclear which specific item categories are being prioritized, but Amazon did previously say that it would only accept new stock for products that were in the six categories it deemed essential: baby products, health and household, beauty and personal care, grocery, industrial and scientific and pet supplies. However, sellers are reporting inconsistent delivery dates for products that fall under these categories. Furthermore, some zip codes are showing normal delivery dates while others show longer waits.
(Via Recode.)