Amazon’s (AMZN) biggest sale of the year has reportedly been postponed from July to September.

The Amazon Prime Day sale, which is held over two days each year, was given a new launch date as the e-commerce giant contends with increased customer demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Wall Street Journal said the new dates for Prime Day will allow Amazon to ramp up production to pre-pandemic levels to handle what is anticipated to be a jump in orders for the online retailer. However, shipping schedules may still lag, the news outlet said.

Previous reports indicated that Prime Day would be postponed until at least August, but now the pushed off September date is expected to give ample time for Amazon to handle the added demand that Prime Day brings, especially as consumers shift towards online purchases.

In 2019, Amazon sold 175 million items, including a flurry of its Alexa-enabled devices, during Prime Day. Traditionally, Amazon offers discounts on an array of tech products, apparel, and other household items.

To keep up with the increased demand that Amazon saw at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, it hired an additional 175,000 workers. The company has also enacted a $2 an hour increase on workers’ salaries as hazard pay through the end of May.

Shares of Amazon stock were down 42.34% as of 1:38 p.m. EDT on Thursday.

Amazon's 48-hour prime 'day' helped boost US retail sales more than expected in July
Amazon's 48-hour prime 'day' helped boost US retail sales more than expected in July AFP / Martin BUREAU
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