Amazons mid-year shopping holiday - Amazon Prime Day 2020 - has reportedly been postponed until at least August, according to internal documents acquired by Reuters.The deals bonanza has become an annual tradition, typically in July, wherein Amazon drops prices on plenty of goods for a day, though discounts during Amazon Prime Day 2019 lingered for days after its July 15 launch date.While the deals are only for Amazon Prime members, free trials allow anyone to access the discounts.Though the Reuters report didnt specify a cause, the delay is most likely due to the coronavirus outbreak, which has driven people indoors and led to such an increase in online shopping that Amazon Prime deliveries may be delayed.Overwhelmed shipping infrastructure could have made Amazon Prime Day orders much harder to fulfill.The other explanation, of course, is that Amazon delayed the holiday out of respect for the crisis itself.
A rise in unemployment could have driven down sales, but the spread of coronavirus through the coming months would be a poor time to hype shoppers up for a deals holiday.In any case, the delay could potentially cost Amazon $100 million in unsold devices it was making ready for the deals holiday that it could have to discount, per the documents acquired by Reuters.That number could even be as high as $300 million, Amazon's General Counsel reportedly said in the document seen by Reuters, and could lead to the brand needing to alter its promotion schedule.Via CNET