Amazon to Reopen French Warehouses

Amazon will begin to reopen its warehouses in France on May 19th.

Amazon will begin to reopen its warehouses in France from May 19th, after reaching an agreement with trade unions. Amazon was forced to close its warehouses in mid-April in response to French court rulings related to the safety conditions for Amazon employees during the coronavirus outbreak. It is not clear how quickly the warehouses will come online, but the gradual phasing in of non-essential categories is expected imminently.

Amazon has been busy implementing new safety measures across its global distribution facilities in response to COVID-19, with over 150 new procedures rolled out, including temperature checks for employees. In addition, other initiatives supporting staff, such as bonus pay for frontline employees, have been extended until June. These moves are expected to hit the online retailer’s operating income for Q2 2020, with Amazon already committing to USD4 billion in coronavirus-related expenses for the quarter.

As Amazon’s operations gradually resume in France, brands operating here should prepare for imminent demand expansion, reinforcing supply chains to safeguard short-term availability and ensuring relevant and up-to-date product content. Over time, returning opportunities to drive product visibility should also be leveraged through data-driven digital shelf strategies and advertising initiatives.

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