Amazon suspends grocery delivery due to 'high order volumes'

Prime Pantry 'not accepting new orders at this time' as shoppers stock up during coronavirus outbreak

Amazon has halted its Prime Pantry delivery orders in the US to restock after seeing a surge in orders amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The service, which offers non-perishable grocery items and other staples through the Amazon Prime website, has seen a sharp uptick in sales as customers stock up on goods during quarantine orders and market shortages.

A notice on the website says: "Due to high order volumes, Pantry is not accepting new orders at this time. This means that items listed as 'Ships & Sold from Pantry' cannot be added to your cart. We apologise for this inconvenience, and are working with our partners to get these items back in stock as quickly as possible."

Amazon is still making household staples available through its other outlets, including Whole Foods, but warned that "due to high demand, other stores may have limited availability and delivery".

The company did not indicate when its Prime Pantry service will return.

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Amazon's suspension of the online store follows the limited supply of goods delivered to its US and European warehouses in an attempt to free up space for in-demand medical and household items. That order is in place until at least 5 April.

In a company statement, Amazon said it is "temporarily prioritising household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfilment centres so we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers."

On Monday, the company announced it intends to open 100,000 new full- and part-time positions across the US "to meet the surge in demand from people relying on Amazon's service during this stressful time, particularly those most vulnerable to being out in public".

The company also said it will add $2 an hour worked through April to its current $15 per hour rate.