Amazon Prime Delaying Shipment On Non-Essential Items (Like Movies) For Up To A Month

If you're prone to boredom shopping on Amazon you're going to have to wait a while before you receive your items. Due to increased demand because of the coronavirus, the e-commerce juggernaut is delaying shipments on non-essential items – and that includes movies, sorry – for up to a month. This delay also includes Amazon Prime items, which under normal circumstances arrive in one to two days.

If you're a Prime user, you may have noticed in the last few days that the standard one-to-two-day delivery window on certain items is no longer an option. Some Prime items in stock are being offered for five-day delivery, but the majority are delaying things as long as a month. April 21, to be precise. Recode reached out to Amazon about this, and the company confirmed this isn't some weird glitch, but rather a reaction due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

"To serve our customers in need while also helping to ensure the safety of our associates, we've changed our logistics, transportation, supply chain, purchasing, and third-party seller processes to prioritize stocking and delivering items that are a higher priority for our customers," said Amazon. "This has resulted in some of our delivery promises being longer than usual."

Amazon previously announced they were only restocking items in their warehouses that fit into six categories: baby products, health and household, beauty and personal care, grocery, industrial and scientific, and pet supplies. "We understand this is a change for our selling partners and appreciate their understanding as we temporarily prioritize these products for customers," the e-commerce company said in a statement accompanying this announcement. And while I personally would lump movies into "personal care," Amazon doesn't seem to agree. You can, of course, get instant access to digital films. And if you have a Prime membership, you can also stream plenty of titles included with Prime.

With the coronavirus forcing so many of us to shelter in our homes, online shopping has increased exponentially, especially at Amazon. And while Amazon presumably has all the money in the world, even that isn't enough to keep up with the current supply and demand. Today, the company released the following statement on their blog:

We believe our role serving customers and the community during this time is a critical one. As COVID-19 has spread, we've seen an increase in people shopping online. To serve our customers while also helping to ensure the safety of our associates, we've changed our logistics, transportation, supply chain, purchasing, and third-party seller processes to prioritize stocking and delivering items that are a higher priority for our customers. This has resulted in some of our delivery promises being longer than usual. We are also hiring over 100,000 positions across the U.S. to enable us to provide this vital service to people everywhere, especially to those, like the elderly, who are most vulnerable.