Amazon is scaling up its logistics network and capabilities in France but faces growing resistance to a major facility near Lyon Airport.
The company has announced the inauguration of its sixth distribution hub in the country but a project to build a mega-warehouse near Lyon Airport is in doubt following objections submitted by environmental groups representing local residents’ associations which have been deemed admissible by the judicial authorities.
The new distribution centre, located in Brétigny-sur-Orge, in the southern suburbs of Paris, is the first of the e-commerce giant's French facilities to be equipped with Amazon Robotics technological innovations.
Amazon will create more than 1,000 permanent jobs at the 152,000 sqm centre over the next three years in response to growth in demand. While the company has not specified what types of robotics it would be implementing at its new French hub, Amazon Robotics specialises in automated storage and retrieval systems.
Amazon has previously said in a blog post that robots in its fulfilment centres carry inventory and transport pallets. As of June 2019, Amazon is said to have had more than 200,000 of the robots working in its warehouses worldwide.
As for the Lyon Airport hub, according to media reports, the public rapporteur, whose recommendations are usually endorsed by the judicial authorities, has concluded that the building permit granted for the warehouse should be cancelled. Lyon's commercial court is expected to render its judgement soon.
A building permit for the centre, which would have a floor area of more than 160,000 sqm and be the online retailer's biggest facility in France, was granted to commercial property developer, Goodman, in August last year while the state prefect of the Rhône département also cleared the project as far environmental norms are concerned.
However, the environmental groups contested the prefect's approval of the project claiming it would lead to the destruction of 33 protected animal species as well as contravening a law relating to the transition to low-carbon energy to support green growth and the absence of measures to manage transport flows around the site.
They have argued the project would lead to a 65% rise in road traffic, with more than one thousand trucks and 4,500 light commercial vehicles serving the logistics hub daily and also an increase in the number of flights operating at Lyon Airport, especially at night.
The mega warehouse also has the support of local public authorities who estimate it provides scope to create around 1,300 jobs. It was earmarked to open at the end of 2020.
Separately, other new developments in Amazon's business in France include the company's growing partnership with French retail chain Monoprix, a subsidiary of Casino Group.
The Prime Now service, which offers the delivery of groceries from Monoprix to customers in less than two hours, has been extended to an additional 32 towns, situated in the Greater Paris region. The service is already available throughout the city of Paris and also in 68 suburban districts of the French capital.
The Monoprix product range on Amazon Prime Now consists of 6,000 products, with nearly 1,600 items from Monoprix store brands including Monoprix Gourmet, Monoprix Bio, as well as fruit and vegetables, meat products and cheese, hygiene, beauty and household cleaning products.
Meanwhile, Amazon has announced that it is hiring close to 9,000 temporary workers at its six distribution hubs, four sorting centres and 11 delivery depots in France to accommodate peak demand ahead of the end-of-the-year festive season.
“Each year, many employees who have joined us on a temporary basis during this peak are afterwards offered permanent positions at Amazon,” commented Ronan Bolé, Director, France, Amazon Logistics.
In addition to these 9,000 temporary posts, Amazon will have created 1,800 permanent jobs over the course of 2019, taking its French payroll to more than 9,300 workers. Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than €2 billion to support the development of its activity in France.
