Amazon Prime Day 2020 Shortages May Occur Due To Coronavirus, Report Says

We're a handful of months away from Amazon Prime Day, but with the rising threat of COVID-19, more commonly known as coronavirus, the deals may not be as abundant as past years. In a new report from The New York Times, the retailer is apparently concerned it won't be able to meet demand during its big sale, as factories in China are shut down as the virus spreads.

The New York Times reports that Amazon is taking measures to combat stock shortages, including ordering more than its usual amount of products--six to eight weeks' worth as opposed to its regular two to three weeks. The report also says Amazon is contacting third-party sellers in order to assess stock availability for Prime Day--some companies are reportedly not advertising on Amazon to ensure there is stock available for the July sale.

An Amazon spokeswoman told The New York Times, "Out of an abundance of caution, we are working with suppliers to secure additional inventory to ensure we maintain our selection for customers ... We are monitoring developments related to the coronavirus and taking appropriate steps as needed."

In the video game industry, we've already seen coronavirus affect certain company's plans. CD Projekt Red recently announced the Cyberpunk 2077 studio won't be attending PAX East over concerns of the virus, shortly after Sony announced it was canceling its PAX presence for the same reason. The Outer Worlds Switch port was delayed recently as well, due to the virus affecting the Singapore-based studio Virtuous, which is developing the port. There are also concerns that coronavirus could cause a Nintendo Switch shortage this year.

It's currently unclear whether coronavirus will affect E3, PAX West, or the production of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but we'll report back as we learn more.