Amazon Prime Day delayed until October

It was already understood that Amazon Prime Day will not take place in July as it usually does every year, with the most recent report hinting that it might get delayed until September. According to a new report, the annual sales event will be held in October.

The company has supposedly given sellers a placeholder date of the week of October 5. A definitive date will likely be announced later.

Those details were apparently shared by Amazon in an e-mail to third-party sellers. Officially, the e-tailer has not said anything about this year’s Prime Day. In recent weeks, the coronavirus has shown signs of resurgence, prompting many businesses that had reopened to close their doors again. Amazon is apparently postponing Prime Day again because it fears its supply chain could get negatively affected because of the spike.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Amazon suspended shipments of nonessential items to its warehouses as it struggled to deal with increased demand following the outbreak. The e-commerce giant prioritized essentials such as medical supplies and household items during that time.

Towards the end of April, the company said it would allow third-party sellers to resume shipments of nonessential products.

Last month, the company organized a fashion-oriented sale to help sellers reeling from the effects of the pandemic and clear inventory in preparation for the Prime Day.

Now as coronavirus cases are rising again, Amazon’s logistical challenges have resurfaced. Although the future is uncertain, a former Amazon executive does not think Prime Day will be delayed beyond October as the company wouldn’t want its biggest sale event to coincide with the holiday shopping season.