Amazon Might Soon Pause CD And Vinyl Sales, Prioritizing COVID-19 Related Goods

Amazon recently decided to temporarily prioritize household staples, medical supplies and “other high demand products,” which does not include CDs or vinyl records among many other entertainment products. Amazon decided to make this move is in response to customers’ new needs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As COVID-19 has continued to spread and store shelves go empty, people have turned to Amazon for online shopping options. In an emailed statement to customers with delayed deliveries, Amazon said, “we’ve recently seen an increase in people shopping online which has had an impact on how we serve our customers.” Because of this, Amazon decided to prioritize more essential items coming into fulfillment centers in order to “more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers.”

Customers can still purchase in-stock items and expect them to be delivered per usual, but once items not included in the priority list sell out, they will not be restocked for at least a couple weeks. If they’re already sold out or on pre-order, this is also true.

Amazon expects this to be in effect through April 5. However, in this situation—of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its panic—it is impossible to know exactly how long industries and companies will be affected. Thus, there is a possibility Amazon will need to continue prioritizing certain items past this date.

Sellers who would have been shipping their items to fulfillment centers are heavily affected by Amazon’s decision. Then, many customers who are seeking entertainment—perhaps to keep busy during self-quarantine—have expressed frustration with this news, including via Twitter.

Others are more understanding of the significance behind the situation: global health and safety.

In response to the general economic disruptions caused by the pandemic, Amazon is taking measures to help current workers and future employees. The company plans to invest $350 million globally to increase pay for employees and partners who are in fulfillment centers, transportation operations, stores or those making deliveries. Plus, Amazon announced it is opening 100,000 new full and part-time positions across the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all sorts of business. As postponed festivals, cancelled tours, and plunging streaming hours send the music industry reeling, this news about Amazon sales and temporarily halted fulfillment is the latest.