Last week, news about the snowstorm in the United States was reported. It is reported that Texas was severely affected by the snowstorm, with water and power outages, and US President Biden declared Texas to be in a state of major disaster.

More than 70 Amazon warehouses have been closed, a large-scale logistics and transportation network has collapsed, and logistics companies have suspended services. In the new week, the chain reaction caused by the bad weather is still unfolding.

But the snowstorm will still continue for some time, and the impact of this major disaster on cross-border e-commerce will continue to intensify, followed by a dimensionality reduction blow to sellers' orders and logistics conditions.

Many logistics companies suspended services in some areas due to snowstorms

The news of the closure of more than 70 FBA warehouses in the United States last week caused delays in the transportation of goods for many sellers. However, misfortunes never come alone. Not only were local logistics centers in the United States unable to continue operating, but major logistics companies also announced that logistics services would be suspended or delayed due to the snowstorm.

At present, the American snowstorm has swept 48 states in the United States and will continue for some time. As three-quarters of the United States is covered with snow , many logistics companies such as UPS, FedEx and USPS have issued notices on the impact of the snowstorm.

1. UPS

UPS released a notice on its official website regarding the impact of the snowstorm on logistics: Major weather events across the United States are affecting the UPS network . The movement of packages in the network may be affected by weather conditions in other areas. Contingency plans are in place and UPS is committed to delivering goods to their final destination as quickly as conditions permit.

2. FedEx

FedEx announced that winter weather has created dangerous conditions across the United States and caused severe damage at the FedEx Express Hub in Memphis. FedEx Express services will be suspended in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

Due to the storm, service is disrupted at the FedEx Express distribution center in Memphis, Tennessee. FedEx pickups, deliveries, and scanning and tracking information may be delayed across the United States at this time, and scanning and tracking information may also be delayed.

3. USPS

The United States Postal Service (USPS) said it has temporarily closed some postal facilities and suspended or delayed delivery. The USPS statement showed that all post offices in the following three-digit zip codes in Mississippi were temporarily closed : 369, 386, 387, 388, 389, 390, 391, 392, 393, 396 and 397.

Logistics issues have always been a nightmare for sellers. Some sellers complained that the United States is either plagued by natural disasters or man-made disasters. As a result, it is really difficult to do business on Amazon.

In fact, the impact of the snowstorm is far more than that. In addition to the impact on the lives and logistics of local residents, the sellers' order volume and operational conditions are also facing difficulties.

The bad effects of the snowstorm

1. Decline in seller orders

Bad weather directly affects the consumption level and shopping desire of American residents. In recent days, the number of orders of sellers is exactly the same as the weather in the United States. As the hardest hit area by the snowstorm, Texas has even worse sales.

In the seller communication group, some sellers reported that most of their customers are in Texas, so due to the snowstorm in the past two days, sales have been getting worse day by day.

▲ The picture comes from the seller communication group

"There are many ways to insult someone, but you ask me about sales."

▲ The picture comes from the seller communication group

At the same time, in extreme weather conditions, not only will large-scale delays in cargo transportation affect orders, but due to road closures and warehouse closures caused by heavy snow, buyers will not be able to receive the goods within the specified time, which will also lead to returns and refunds .

Sellers: The already bad order defect rate has become even worse

2. Logistics delays and sellers facing stock shortages

As early as last week, many media reported that the situation in Texas, the United States, was serious, with large-scale power outages, roads blocked by blizzards, and supermarkets being emptied. At the same time, most FBA warehouse appointments would be postponed for 1-3 weeks.

Correspondingly, the seller's goods will have to wait a long time before arriving at the US warehouse, and both warehousing and outbound delivery are big problems. Many sellers have reported that their products are out of stock and the goods cannot be delivered and transported normally, which is really a dilemma.

   ▲ The picture comes from the seller communication group

3. Impact on vaccine distribution

At the same time, the winter snowstorm has also hindered the distribution and injection of vaccines. According to the White House, the severe weather has caused a backlog of up to 6 million doses of vaccines .

In Texas, where millions of residents suffered power outages, state health officials said more than 100,000 first doses and 300,000 second doses of vaccine were supposed to arrive last week but were stuck in out-of-state warehouses.

In addition, severe weather has slowed distribution at two vaccine transportation centers , a FedEx hub in Memphis, Tennessee, and a UPS site in Louisville, Kentucky. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said more than 2,000 vaccination sites are currently in areas without power.

Although the worsening bad weather has brought many inconveniences, the demand for some commodities has increased significantly due to this sudden snowstorm.

It is learned that Texas was hit by a severe snowstorm. Although the power supply in the whole state has been restored after several days of record-breaking low temperatures, about 14.3 million people still lack clean drinking water. At the same time, the road closures, snow accumulation, and shortage of daily necessities caused by the snowstorm have also stimulated people's demand for some daily necessities.

It is understood that during the snowstorm in the United States, many businessmen made a fortune and charged outrageous prices for daily necessities. The prices of gasoline, bottled water, hotels, etc. skyrocketed , causing dissatisfaction among many people.

  ▲ The picture comes from Weibo

According to reports, due to the rare snowstorms that hit many countries in the northern hemisphere, people's demand for snow removal tools has increased significantly. A financial data survey showed that Russians spent an average of 437 rubles (about 38 yuan) on snow shovels last week, and 35,000 rubles (about 3,070 yuan) on snowplows.

  ▲ The picture comes from Weibo

At the same time, many local supermarkets in the United States have been emptied, proving that there is a huge demand for daily necessities. Sellers can also choose products based on the current situation. In this case, a series of peripheral products will be very popular, such as buckets, snow removal tools, generators, mobile power supplies, backup batteries, and emergency devices .

I wonder if the sellers were affected by the snowstorm? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area to discuss ~