The loss of FedEx ground shipping put many third-party Amazon sellers in a bind over the busy holiday period. CNBC reported some merchants had to resort to other methods, sometimes at a higher cost, for Prime orders. They were still able to use FedEx Ground for non-Prime packages, as well as FedEx Express over the holidays.

FedEx might not be a permanent option for ground shipping, though. The courier said in August it wouldn't renew its ground delivery contract with Amazon's own packages (though third-party sellers could still use the service). Amazon has expanded its own delivery network in recent years, including using drones, as it takes more direct control over distribution.