#Amazon tells third-party Prime sellers to start working weekends

Amazon is cracking down on sellers who don’t live up to its two-day shipping promise — and it means they’ll have to work weekends.

The e-tail juggernaut this week told third-party sellers participating in its Seller Fulfilled Prime program — which allows them to advertise their products under Amazon’s popular Prime banner — will be required to ship and receive packages on Saturdays.

Amazon told sellers in a memo published by Forbes that fewer than 16 percent of third-party retailers participating in the program delivered their packages within Prime’s two-day guarantee, due in large part to the fact that most did not ship packages on weekends.

Under the new rules, sellers also will have to make their products available nationwide rather than just their local area if they want to participate in the program, according to the memo.

“These changes will help deliver an experience our Prime customers expect, including fast delivery,” the company said.

The new policy will go into effect in February, giving sellers a few more months of Saturdays before they are required to comply.