Amazon Reverses Decision on 'Nonessentials'

Nearly a month ago, Amazon stopped accepting shipments of nonessential items from third-party sellers at its warehouses as it chose to focus on items deemed essential for shoppers amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now it's reversing course. Third-party sellers, who account for 58% of Amazon's sales and who were none too happy with the restrictions, can once again ship nonessential items to Amazon's warehouses starting later this week, the Wall Street Journal reports, though there will be limits on how much. In a further sign that Amazon is prepping to expand so it can better meet increased customer needs as much of the country shelters at home, it announced Monday it is hiring 75,000 new workers. It's already hired more than 100,000 over the past month; its typical US workforce is 500,000. (More Amazon stories.)