Amazon Limits What Brands & 3rd-Party Sellers Can Store in Warehouses Until April

Amazon only wants essential items in its warehouses due to the coronavirus. The Associated Press reports that the global retailer is limiting what brands and third-party sellers can send in to its warehouses until April 5. Phone cases, jeans and other non-essential items are restricted, while medical supplies, dog food, baby wipes and other essential household items are fine. “It’s pretty disruptive,” says Greg Mercer, the CEO of Jungle Scout, a software platform for Amazon independent sellers.

Third-party merchants in the FBA program send their items into an Amazon warehouse where they sit until customers buy. If they cannot restock when products sell out, they can lose money. These sellers make up almost 60 percent of all products on Amazon. “This is getting very ugly and quick,” said one seller who sells fashion accessories. “We are in trouble and may not survive until June,” he said. “We understand this is a change for our selling partners and appreciate their understanding as we temporarily prioritize these products for customers,” Amazon said in a statement.