Amazon delivery times are returning to normal slowly and steadily after the company suspended delivery of non-essential items in order to tackle the surge of orders at the beginning of the pandemic situation.
By the end of March, Amazon put a complete halt on new shipments of non-essential items and Prime deliveries were pushed back as far as a month, in order to tackle the uptick on the orders. Even Amazon warehouses were forced to close due to workers testing positive for corona virus infection which in turn impacted deliveries.
It now, appears as if the slowdowns have passed. The company has said it has been able to speed up some deliveries and there are more goods coming into its facilities. Back in mid-April, Amazon lifted some restrictions on new goods coming into its fulfillment centers and this should help its operations begin to normalize.
Amazon deliveries
Amazon generally uses multiple carriers to deliver products across the U.S. The carrier choice depends on factors such as destination location, shipping location, size of package, value of contents in the package, promised delivery time frame, Amazon Prime vs. Free Super Saver shipping etc.
- Amazon shipping packages are mostly shipped via UPS. Those destinations which are not served by UPS, alternate carries like FedEx/DHL are used.
- Estimated delivery date, if it falls on Saturday, then it is sure to be shipped via FedEx because UPS has a company policy of no delivery on Saturdays.
- Majority of the Free Super Saver shipping packages are shipped via USPS. In case if the products is expensive or bulky then it gets shipped via UPS.
- If product ordered by the customer is available in a nearby Amazon warehouse (usually within a 40-50 mile radius), they partner with local courier companies such as A1 Courier Services in Philadelphia and Delaware and OnTrac in California.
- Typically they use a combination of UPS and USPS depending on the type of package. There are some items listed as prime that are actually fulfilled by the seller than may be shipped via FedEx.
- UPS seems to be their main carrier, but who knows when FedEx may undercut them on pricing and win the bid- I’m sure it is a highly coveted account.
Amazon provided more details on the current state of the company’s operations. They have removed quantity limits on products their suppliers can send to their fulfillment centers. They continue to adhere to extensive health and safety measures to protect their associates as they pick, pack and ship deliveries to customers, and are improving delivery speeds across their store.
Although Amazon has not yet provided details on shipping times, an estimated two-day and one-day shipping is still inconsistent in the US.
The good news being month long delays are over but it will still take a while before Amazon, the ecommerce giant, is once again able to guarantee two-day nationwide shipping on non-essential items.