Jeff Bezos' Letter to Amazon Shareholders amid the COVID-19 Crisis

Amazon founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey P. Bezos penned this year's shareholder letter, highlighting the e-commerce giant's outlook amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Putting it as he sees it, Jeff Bezos began with reiterating that the online retailer had learned of the value that its consumers have placed in them.

Seeing through this tremendous responsibility, he said, was Amazon's sole purpose for the moment, with all its time and resources being directed to mitigating the adverse effects of this crisis. 

Heroic Amazonians for Whom Amazon Is Committed To Keep Healthy and Well

The Amazon CEO's teams were doing him proud, working all hours to make sure supplies got to their customer's doorsteps, seeing as people needed them. Operations across the global retail dot com have been strained to the limit, Bezos pointed out, as the demand for essentials spiked without warning. This, he says, is unlike the predicted holiday time surges that are anticipated and planned for, causing significant challenges to be experienced within Amazon's supply and delivery network.

Soon after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Amazon was quick to prioritize the availability and shipping of essential or critical goods, which included household supplies and medical products. The Amazon founder reminded shareholders that the company's Whole Foods Market Stores have remained operational as suppliers of fresh food and vital commodities to consumers. The most vulnerable members of society to this virus, such as seniors, are given priority to shop one full hour before general consumers at Amazon-Whole Foods.

After temporarily suspending non-essential services like Amazon Books, 4-Star and Pop-Up, or offering associates other trading opportunities, the mega-retailer now geared towards the protection of its workers.

Keeping the Pandemic at Bay within the Amazon Global Operation

While expressing gratitude to their heroic undertakings, Jeffrey Bezos said that the safety of the online retailer's employees and contractors is and has always been of paramount importance.

Focus now is on the health of these committed Amazonians, and the company has made process changes aimed at keeping the team healthy and safe. Daily audits are conducted in association with top virology experts and health authorities, ensuring that the more than 150 measures put in place are thoroughly implemented. Part of these preventative measures includes the distribution of face masks, performing temperature checks, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizers across the Whole Foods Market stores.

To protect employees, support staff, and customers, Jeff Bezos said that door handles, lockers, stairway handrails, touch screens, and elevator buttons are regularly sanitized. Extensive social distancing has seen stand-up meetin...