Amid coronavirus, Amazon, Whole Foods struggle to deliver groceries
Amazon Fresh, FreshDirect delivery services were interrupted
While brick-and-mortar retailers in the United States sell out of groceries and household items amid the coronavirus outbreak, online sellers are having problems of their own.
At least that was the case for e-commerce giant Amazon, which experienced a technical glitch Sunday as shoppers teemed the website to stock up on essentials. The disruption affected grocery orders through its Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods delivery services.
The company reported long lines at its delivery stations and overall delays delivering items.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMZN | AMAZON.COM INC. | 198.38 | -4.50 | -2.22% |
“As COVID-19 has spread, we've seen a significant increase in people shopping online for groceries,” a company spokesperson told FOX Business. The glitch, they explained, “resulted in a systems impact affecting our ability to deliver. We're contacting customers, issuing concessions and are working around the clock quickly to resolve the issue.”
The spokesperson did not immediately provide an update on the situation and Amazon is not the only online outlet to experience issues stemming from ballooning demand.
Grocery-delivery platform FreshDirect reportedly had no delivery time slots available Sunday for many shoppers in New York City. Even after entering multiple dropoff addresses across the city’s five boroughs, the earliest delivery date was March 22.
This was the case each borough but Staten Island, per the New York Post.
FreshDirect did not immediately respond to a request for comment but tweeted that due to extremely high demand, “deliveries and customer service responses may be delayed.”
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In the Big Apple and at other hotspots throughout the country, consumers continue to panic shop as the coronavirus outbreak shutters stores, schools and disrupts day-to-day life.
Big-box stores report shortages on cleaning suppliers, hand sanitizer and toilet paper.
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And Americans could be in their homes for some time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised against gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks.
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Evie Fordham contributed to this report.
