It’s the biggest day of Amazon’s calendar. Well, two days. Amazon Prime Day promises millions of bargains. But in the aftermath of the pandemic, a new challenge could cause delays for customers.
June 21 and 22 this year will be a big event for customers of Amazon around the world. And an important day for Amazon’s retailers and the retail giant itself.
As we browse Amazon’s website, searching for bargains, it might be a good idea to think about how long it’s going to take for our goodies to actually reach us. Because Amazon is facing a global shipping delay.
COVID has caused a shipping crisis
Among all the things we’ve had to worry about this pandemic, we thought we’d be safe from a major logistics challenge. Stuck at home, millions of us have given up on traditional retail stores, and instead gone online for our daily needs.
Amazon is the world’s largest retailer. And it’s determined to enter even further into our lives.
Amazon Prime Day is the yearly event the company uses to get us all signed up to Amazon Prime accounts, promising faster shipping and even a video catalog.
For Amazon, it’s all about the ecosystem. Come for the cheap prices, stay for the video library. So much so the company just spent billions acquiring movie studio MGM, to win the lions share of Hollywood’s glamorous history.
Breaking the Prime deal
The problem for Amazon this year is that we are now very much aware that there’s a shipping delay. Remember how fast things used to arrive? Now you’ve got to add weeks to your delivery expectations.
And for many Prime customers, that’s a break with their contract with Amazon. We give you our money, you deliver quickly.
Still, for those willing to wait, there are millions of bargains to be found, or so we’re told.
The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates by a quarter-point, bringing the benchmark rate to a range of 4.5% to 4.75%, as economic growth continues but job gains slow.
The Fed noted that labour market conditions have “generally eased,” even with low unemployment, signalling a more cautious approach amid a stable economic expansion.
The statement marks a shift in Fed language, now saying inflation has “made progress” toward the 2% goal instead of the prior “further progress.”
With inflation holding steady around 2.6%, policymakers aim to keep economic risks balanced, despite pressures from slower job growth.
This rate cut reflects a strategic move to sustain economic momentum while cautiously watching inflation’s gradual trend toward the Fed’s target.
The decision was unanimous, aligning Fed priorities with a balanced approach to support both employment and price stability.