Amazon’s Prime Day sales event, due to take place internationally in June, will be postponed in both Canada and India due to continued concern over the spread of Covid-19 in those countries.
In Canada, where just over 3 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, compared to almost 33 per cent in the US, a number of Amazon facilities had been ordered to close earlier this year by local health authorities as part of lockdown measures.
All have since reopened, but five shifts in three locations are still currently suspended, a spokesperson said, due to positive cases. All workers on those shifts have been sent home with full pay to isolate for 10 days, in line with health department guidelines.
Amazon told its third party sellers via email: “Based on the increasing impact of Covid-19 in Canada, and the importance we place on protecting the health and safety of our employees and customers, we will pause plans for Prime Day 2021 in Canada.”
It added: “We will continue to monitor the situation while we determine the best next steps for Prime Day 2021 in Canada. We understand this is a change, but we will work closely with you to minimize any potential disruption to your business.”
As the pandemic upended its global logistics network, last year Amazon pushed Prime Day, a two-day long sale, back to the year’s final quarter for all markets, with the exception of India, where it was held in August.
This year, however, India’s event will be pushed back to an as-yet unannounced date, the company confirmed. News of the postponement was first reported by CNBC.
India has seen coronavirus cases rocket in recent weeks, overwhelming health services, and prompting calls for international humanitarian aid. On Thursday alone, health officials in India reported 410,000 new Covid-19 infections and almost 4,000 deaths.