The spread of the coronavirus has led the CDC to recommend Americans to practice social distancing and quarantining in order to control the number of cases. The shift in social life for Americans is leading some to invest in home workout routines and others to stockpile on supplies like toilet paper. The demand for essential supplies has led to different reactions. Billie Eilish urged fans to stop hoarding supplies from the store while Lil Yachty is jokingly “selling” $500 rolls of Bape toilet paper. But the need for essentials has also weighed on Amazon, and the company is making some changes in order to accommodate the needs.
Amazon announced Tuesday it would halt the sales of vinyl, CDs, and other music merch items. In a statement to its customers, Amazon said they will be prioritizing household essentials:
“We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock. With this in mind, we are temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies, and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and deliver these products to customers. For products other than these, we have temporarily disabled shipment creation.”
For record labels and distributors, that means Amazon won’t be making any more orders of vinyl, CDs, and merch until the temporary hold is lifted, which Music Business Worldwide reports would be at least until April 5. The news is bad for vinyl lovers, which follows the postponement of the beloved Record Store Day due to coronavirus concerns.
Read more of Uproxx’s coverage on the coronavirus here.
