Amazon passes inflation surcharges onto sellers as the ecommerce giant battles rocketing costs
Amazon is set to introduce a five per cent “fuel and inflation surcharge” as the ecommerce giant grapples with the rocketing costs.
This charges will be passed on to third-party sellers who use the company’s fulfilment centres and sell their products on the site, according to reports from the Guardian.
The timing of the fee adjustments varies by marketplace, and the company is set to announce the stateside fee change today. The UK changes are yet to be announced.
There are around two million of these types of sellers, and it is understood that they are responsible for half the goods sold online.
Amazon already hiked prices in November, but a recent notice to sellers earlier this week said the pandemic had led to additional fees.
Whilst the ecommerce powerhouse benefited from lockdown shopping habits, it has also been forced to increase hourly wages and hire more workers to meet this demand.
In the US, the company is also facing the emergence of unionisation across warehouse workers.
Amazon’s biggest competitors FedEx and UPS have fuel surcharges, and it is understood that Amazon have tried to absorb the costs as much as possible.
The firm is set to release its most recent quarterly results at the end of the month.