Ingram Warns of 4th-Quarter Suppy Chain Disruptions - Shelf Awareness

 Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the Shelf Awareness site. There our intrepid kitty traveler found a post about Ingram Content Group.

 

According to the post, Ingram Content Group is predicting supply chain problems and cost increases for the publishing industry this holiday season. Ingram is also expecting warehouse and transportation problems. All these problems will cause slower deliveries.

 

Another ruined Christmas?

Panzer says, "This little kitty thinks you need to get your holiday books ready now, so you don't get caught in the Covid-19 storm in December."

 

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a brownie (everything feels better with chocolate) for today's reading.

 

To read the post tootle over to Ingram

Amazon is reopening its French warehouses after COVID-19 labor dispute - The Verge

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to The Verge site. There our traveling kitty pilot found a post about Amazon's French warehouses. Last week Panzer told you about Amazon closing the company's French fulfillment centers in April.

All humans want is more money.

According The Verge's Chaim Gartenberg's post, Amazon is reopening the company's six French warehouses. The company will open the fulfillment centers slowly. There will be staggered shifts for the employees and increased pay.

Panzer says, "Well ... Now people there will get their orders faster, since Amazon won't be shipping from fulfillment centers outside France anymore."

Note: This is a long-short length post. Bring a cup of tea for your reading selection today.

To read the post tootle over to Amazon French fulfillment centers reopen
To read Panzer's earlier post tootle over to Amazon French shutdown

Amazon's Showdown in France Tests Its Ability to Sidestep Labor - The New York Times

Today as Panzer was cleaning out the Panzermobile, he found a post wadded up under the passenger seat. Flattening it out, our fastidious kitty discovered it was a post from The New York Times site about Amazon's labor problems in France.

I have my priorities.

The post by Liz Alderman and Adam Satariano documents problems with the French warehouse workers labor union. The union is not happy with Amazon's response to workers' health protection in the company's French fulfillment centers. The union took Amazon to court and won a court order that Amazon must stop delivering 'nonessential' items during the pandemic. In response Amazon closed their French fulfillment centers. Amazon is shipping orders from warehouses in other countries to French customers. There are more issues in the case and Amazon has appealed to the French Supreme Court.

Panzer says, "Umm ... Who decides what is nonessential? What's essential to the neighbor's dog wouldn't be essential to me. So, who decides? Me or the dog?"

This is a humongous post. Bring a thermos of tea and six muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Amazon and French Unions

Amazon will hire 100k warehouse workers amid pandemic-driven surge in online shopping - GeekWire

You can never be too careful.

Today as Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere* he made a stop at the GeekWire site. There our brave kitty boy found a post about Amazon.

According to the GeekWire post by Monica Nickelsburg, Amazon is on a hiring spree. The coronavirus has caused a lot of people worldwide to do their shopping online at Amazon. The company wasn't prepared for the influx of shoppers and is now hiring employees to catch up.The company plans to hire 100,000 workers worldwide. The company is also giving warehouse workers a $2.00 an hour raise while the buying frenzy continues. They've instituted a grant program for sick workers with Covid-19 too.

Panzer says, "Mom ordered some ear thingies for What's His Name's Bose headphones and they got here on time. Then she tried to order something from the Amazon Pantry store and finally gave up because they were out."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Amazon workers


*Don't worry about Panzer traveling outside and being exposed to Covid-19. There is no virus in the Catosphere, so travel there as much as you want.

Amazon Reducing Orders to Publishers - Publishers Weekly

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to the Publishers Weekly site. With a little digging in the posts our adventuresome kitty found one about Amazon's inventory problems.

Never have only distributor.

According to Jim Milliot, Amazon is cutting back on the company's book orders from publishers. This is a step the company is taking in inventory reduction at its warehouses. By reducing the number of books in inventory the company will have more warehouse space available for other items in upcoming sales during the holiday season. Because of the possible loss of holiday book sales, some publishers are considering using BN.com, Walmart and other distribution outlets for their online book sales.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Maybe ... Amazon needs bigger warehouses/distribution centers?"

Note: Your choice: This is either a long-short length or a short-medium length post. Either way, bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Amazon

Amazon warehouse envoys rally to tweet upbeat comments about working conditions - The Seattle Times

Panzer took an unexpected trip into the Catosphere today. He was shaken from his afternoon nap by strange sounds coming from the Catosphere. Hopping into the Panzermobile and following all the noise took our sleepy kitty to The Seattle Times newspaper site. After a little digging around in the posts our kitty reporter found one about Amazon.

According to Matt Day, Amazon now has more than a dozen "Amazon FC Ambassadors" tweeting on Twitter about how great the work environment in the warehouses is. The "FC" in their title stands for "Fulfillment Center" which is Amazon's name for its warehouses. The post says the Ambassadors don't have anything but praise for Amazon warehouse working conditions and their benefits. Some links are included to other posts including about working conditions, individual FC Ambassadors and the FC Ambassador program.

Who likes everything about their job?

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Who are these warehouse workers that they have time to be tweeting online?"

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup and a half of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Amazon warehouse workers

The Arrival Of Amazon And The Future Of Australian Publishing - Dr. Beth Driscoll, University of Melbourne

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard wailing and gnashing of teeth. Following all the hullabaloo took our adventuresome kitty to the University of Melbourne site. There he found a post about Amazon's expansion into the Australian marketplace.

This needs looking into.

According to Dr. Beth Driscoll, Amazon has opened their first warehouse in Australia and will now change the Australian publishing environment. With this new fulfillment center, Amazon will be able to cut their delivery times on Australian orders. With the Amazon Prime service members will be able to get free shipping on their purchases. Because of its book ranking system Dr. Driscoll suggests Amazon will be able to negotiate discounted prices from Australian publishers. Dr. Driscoll also speculates there will be an increase in self-publishing as well. There is much more information about Amazon's possible impact on Australia's publishing industry included in this post.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Is Amazon really invading Australia's publishing landscape? This little kitty thinks Australians are a pretty independent group and won't be swayed by Amazon."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring a thermos of tea, a sandwich and six chocolate chip cookies (biscuits) for dessert.

To read the post tootle over to Amazon in Australia

Union calls new strikes at Amazon's German warehouses -Yahoo! Finance

Back to my nap now.

Panzer was shaken awake from his evening nap by loud noises coming from the Catosphere. Following all the hullabaloo our tired little kitty found himself at the Yahoo! Finance site. There he discovered a post about Amazon.

According to the post from the Reuters news feed, the German union Verdi is telling workers at three of Amazon's warehouses to go on strike now until December 24. The union wants reclassification and pay increases for their members working in Amazon's German warehouses.

Panzer says, "I hope this strike doesn't mess up Santa's Christmas cat toy deliveries!"

Note: This is a shortish-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and half a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon

Amazon to move book-making warehouse in North Charleston, cutting 149 jobs - The Post and Courier

Panzer made a short trip into the Catosphere today. Our busy kitty had hardly started his travels when he began hearing crying and moaning. Following all the noise took him to The Post and Courier site. There he found some news about Amazon.

You know, they print my paperbacks.

According to the post by Thad Moore, Amazon is closing their warehouse in North Charleston, South Carolina. The warehouse is one of Amazon's Createspace locations. Createspace is the print-on-demand arm of Amazon. An Amazon representative said the lease on the location is expiring and the company wants to move the operation to Midlands closer to the distribution hub.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... I wonder if this move will cause any immediate problems with Createspace paperback books print-on-demand operations."

Note: This is a short-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon

Amazon's mega warehouse gridlocks traffic in N.J. towns - nj.com

Panzer planned to take a leisurely trip around in the Catosphere today. However, our intrepid kitty explorer had barely hit the Catophere when he heard all kinds of horns honking and shouting and general noisiness. Following all the ruckus took him to the nj.com site.

Cristina Rojas stated in the post, Amazon is in danger of being sued by Mayor David Fried of Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Why?

Because Amazon has too many warehouse workers there.

There are 4,000 warehouse workers (and an unspecified number of  holiday season workers) at the 1.2 million square foot warehouse.  An Amazon warehouse worker works four 10 hour shifts per week. That means at shift start and end half the workers are coming to the warehouse and half are leaving the warehouse. This is causing traffic problems in the surrounding areas as workers drive to and from freeway entrances. If an answer to the traffic can't be found, the mayor will sue to close the warehouse.

I'll help. I've got extra room and the Panzermobile is quiet..

Panzer says, "I wonder if they could put an airport runway on the roof of the warehouse. Then, they could use airplanes to fly out the workers 300 - 400 at a time. Oh ... Wait ... That wouldn't work ... Too much noise. Sorry. Can't help."

Note: A cup of tea and two muffins should be enough for your read today. If you want to follow the link inside the post to another post about the mayor's threat to sue, you'll need another cup of tea.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon warehouse

Amazon Temporary Warehouse Workers' Non-Compete Clause

Hide. Don't sign it.

Panzer got woken up from his nap by all the caterwauling in the Catosphere today. Our poor tired kitty struggled into the Panzermobile to see what all the noise was about.

Following all the yowling and gnashing of teeth, led our black kitty boy to The Verge site. In a post by Spencer Woodman, he discovered Amazon has their temporary employees sign the same contract with the 18-month non-compete clause as the permanent employees.

The contract includes stipulations of not working anywhere where the former employee will directly or indirectly work with any product or service that might compete with any product or service that Amazon sells. Since Amazon sells practically everything known to humankind in the world, the non-compete clause limits former temporary employees' future employment options for 18-months after leaving Amazon.

Panzer says, "Hey, wait a minute. These are temporary employees. They can't work anywhere else for 18-months?"

Note: You'll need a v-e-r-y b-i-g cup of tea, as this is a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g post.

To read the full post, tootle over to Amazon warehouse jobs