Amazon.com announced the inevitable impending delay in their deliveries as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, as it spreads throughout the country. The company stated that the increase in online purchases has been overwhelming and has therefore affected the ability of the company to serve customers effectively. It announced that they have even run out of stock of some commodities, mostly household. Amazon said that they are up and down on their heels to make sure that they have enough stock for the customers. Some of the deliveries have notably been taking longer than usual.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that e-commerce has been on a steady rise in the recent past, reaching almost $602 billion sales in 2019, a 14.9% increase in comparison to 2018. Customers have exhibited confidence in online shopping, especially for large items inclusive of furniture and durables such as refrigerators, washers, and dryers. Comparatively, e-commerce catered for 11% of all sales in 2019, and 9.9% in 2018.
Amazon also made it known to its customers aware that there is no comprehensive list of all the available commodities, and they would have to confirm availability and delivery information during checkout. Toilet paper, hand sanitizer and hand soap were among the commodities reported to be out of stock as of March 15th. Grocery deliveries were also affected by some technical malfunction on Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh delivery services.
The virus has had a devastating effect on the shops that are run physically. Some people have also been reported to have inflated prices of commodities. A man revealed online that he was in possession of 17,700 bottles of hand sanitizer and was offering them at a gouged price. He came under scrutiny and had to donate them all to church and some to Kentucky, where they originated.
Amazon reiterated that they will ensure that no one on their platform overcharges their product, in line with their policies.
