The consequences of the coronavirus epidemic have seen measures taken to contain the spread of the disease across the globe. Supermarket shelves have been left empty, universities have stopped face-to-face teaching, and restrictions have been placed around large gatherings in public and private places.
The panic caused by the pandemic has seen online shopping giant Amazon swarmed by customers who are buying items such as hand sanitiser and toilet paper at an unprecedented rate. In order to keep up with the demand, Amazon has announced that they will no longer be stocking vinyl records.
Vinyl records will be the next to go. Due to the coronavirus, Amazon will no longer be supplying music fans with their favourite records.
Amazon has recognised that the priority will be to provide necessary household items to consumers whilst the pandemic continues to spread across the globe. In a recent statement, the company has said that they will continue to supply vinyl records until they are out of stock – at that point, warehouses will be using the space for essential items only.
Whilst there is practicality in the decision, the impact of such will cause further devastation to the music industry. With a long line of concerts, festivals and events being cancelled or rescheduled already, there has been huge concern for artists across the music scene. In 2019, vinyl sales on Amazon skyrocketed by 19%, bringing in a huge $504 million in sales – the biggest revenue we’ve seen since the 80’s.
So this is no light decision by Amazon who is the major seller of vinyl in the United States – holding a quarter of the overall market share:
“We are seeing increased online shopping, and as a result some products such as household staples and medical supplies are out of stock,” Amazon disclosed in a recent statement, “For products other than these, we have temporarily disabled shipment creation.We understand this is a change for our selling partners and appreciate their understanding…”
