Amazon Prime Day Set For September As Operations Stabilize

In a COVID-19 world, the eCommerce scene changes quickly.

This spring, Seattle-based Amazon went on a hiring spree, unable to keep up with the boom in online sales. Also, its Amazon Fresh grocery delivery arm was unable to handle all the stay-at-home consumers attempting to go on online COVID-19 shopping sprees.

Now, Amazon is taking steps to get operations back on an even keel, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company is set to reschedule its Prime Day for the fall, and plans to resume unlimited shipments of nonessential goods to warehouses.

The company is now planning to hold its annual Prime Day event in September, according to the Journal. Typically held in July, the two-day shopping event features bargain merchandise. Amazon had to postpone it due to issues keeping up with pandemic-triggered demand.

In March, Amazon stopped shipments of nonessential items to warehouses to make room for medical supplies and household staples. The company also moved to hire 100,000 new employees, and then another 75,000 in April. Amazon also upped employee pay by $2 per hour through the month. The company said it would focus on delivering essential items, such as groceries, cleaning and wellness goods and other household products.

Now, the waitlist to get a time slot on Amazon Fresh is largely gone. “We’ve removed the invite list in most cities, and more than 80 percent of eligible Prime members are able to shop without requesting an invitation,” the company said on May 12.

Amazon also said the long delivery delays are coming to an end as the company’s warehouses get stocked up and supply chain problems begin to ebb. Prime Pantry is also back after being unavailable for nearly two months.

“We removed quantity limits on products our suppliers can send to our fulfillment centers,” the company added.