Good
day,
New customers looking for at-home delivery of groceries are out of luck when it comes to Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). The e-tailer said it is no longer accepting new grocery delivery customers and any customer signing up for grocery delivery will be placed on a waiting list.
Amazon is also cutting hours at
some Whole Foods stores to accommodate existing customers buying food online.
The company said it has expanded grocery pickup from about 80 Whole Foods Market locations to more than 150 and it has converted a planned grocery
store in Woodland Hills, California, into an online-only story focused on
grocery delivery orders.
“We are temporarily asking new
Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market delivery and pickup customers to sign up
for an invitation to use online grocery delivery and pickup,” the company wrote
in a blog post. “We’re
increasing capacity each week and will invite new customers to shop every week.”
Amazon also has created new
delivery windows for existing customers.
“While we have increased order
capacity by more than 60% due to COVID-19, we still expect the combination of
restricted capacity due to social distancing and customer demand will continue
to make finding available delivery windows challenging for customers,” wrote
Stephanie Landry in the blog. “To help, in the coming weeks, we will launch a
new feature that will allow customers to secure a time to shop. This feature
will give delivery customers a virtual ‘place in line’ and will allow us to
distribute the delivery windows on a first-come, first-served basis.”
Did you know?
TravelCenters of
America has raised more than $2.7 million for St. Christopher Truckers
Development and Relief Fund since 2010, including $293,000 in 2019. Read more about the fund here.
Quotable:
“I’m glad to be able to help these
guys and women. And it’s like I said, they gotta eat, and nobody will let them
go to walk-ups. So I come out here three days a week, my wife makes the lunches
and I bring them out.”
– Richard McFadden, an 81-year-old veteran, speaking to Fox13. McFadden hands out sandwiches to truckers three times a week at the Grassy Mountain rest area before exit 99 off I-80 in Utah.
In other news:
Traffic declines put summer road projects in jeopardy
The decline of traffic on American
roadways coupled with low gas prices may be good for truckers moving goods, but
the financial hit from lower tax revenues could jeopardize highway projects
this summer. (WBAL)
COVID-19 and trucking
The trucking industry is in a state
of flux because of COVID-19, and how well a carrier is doing all depends on
what it hauls. (Forbes)
(Not) just in time for medical supplies
The nation’s just-in-time supply
chain is stressing under the demand to get goods, particularly medical
supplies, to the right places in a timely manner. (Wall Street Journal)
Retail sales face slow recovery
According to data from Fitch
Ratings, retail sales may remain down double digits into 2021. (Retail Dive)
Pressure grows on Congress to do more for businesses
With more than 17 million Americans
out of work, pressure is growing on Congress to produce another rescue package
to help struggling businesses and consumers. (Bloomberg)
Final thoughts
For truck drivers on the road
during COVID-19, free meals are becoming more plentiful. A quick search of
social media finds hundreds of posts letting drivers know where meals are being
handed out. It is a testament to the power of social media to keep people
informed, but more importantly, proof that despite our political persuasions
that have created major divisions within the country, in a time of need, people
are still willing to help out their fellow Americans.
Hammer down, everyone!
