Amazon to stop shipping nonessentials to consumers in Italy and France
LONDON: Amazon.com will stop shipping nonessential products to consumers in Italy and France, the company said on Saturday, representing an escalation in the e-commerce giant’s response in regions hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
An Amazon spokesman said the company made the decision due to a spike in orders and the need to respect anti-coronavirus safety measures in the workplaces.
“We will temporarily stop taking orders on some nonessential products on Amazon.it and Amazon.fr,” Amazon.com said in a statement. “This lets fulfillment center associates focus on receiving and shipping the products customers need most at this time.”
Amazon considers baby products; health and household items; beauty and personal care; groceries; and industrial, scientific, and pet supplies as essential products.
The world’s largest online retailer said consumers in Italy and France can still order nonessential products from sellers on Amazon who do not use Amazon logistics to fulfil and ship orders, but deliveries could take longer.
More than 274,800 people have been infected with coronavirus across the world and 11,389 have died. In Italy, the death toll rose by 18.4 per cent on Friday, reaching 4,032. France reported 78 new deaths on Friday, reaching a total of 450.
Both countries have announced lock down orders to slow the spread of the virus.
The move comes on the heels of actions Amazon took on Tuesday when it said it will only receive vital supplies at its US and UK and other European warehouses until April 5 to free up inventory space for medical and household goods.