French e-tailer La Redoute suspends logistics activity

French fashion and home decoration e-tailer La Redoute has called a halt to its logistics staff’s work on March 19, after two employees were found to have Covid-19 symptoms, and as a response to the concern of staff at its Quai30 warehouse. The 42,500 m2 warehouse is located at Wattrelos, northern France, and is the hub that takes care of order fulfilment and delivery for La Redoute. On Thursday March 19, the FO trade union issued an alert which led to discussions with La Redoute's management.

Despite the suspension, the company hopes to be able to restart logistics operations at least in part, on a voluntary basis. A meeting between the management and employee representatives is scheduled on Saturday to try to find alternative solutions.

“It is by keeping all its departments going, even if on a limited basis logistics-wise, that the company will have the means not only to weather the crisis, but also to bounce back once it is over,” said La Redoute.

Before putting a temporary stop to warehousing operations, La Redoute said that on March 15 it adopted specific measures at its Quai30 facility. These include putting a ceiling to the number of people present at the warehouse at any one time (never more than 60), distancing workstations, deploying extra cleaning measures and introducing a four-hour gap between the end of the morning shift and the start of the afternoon one.

La Redoute has never stopped taking orders on its e-shop, which is currently operational. Some retailers in France and elsewhere, like Ikea, Intersport and the Fashion3 group, owner among others of Pimkie, Jules and Rouge Gorge, have instead decided to temporarily halt their e-tail activity, notably in order to allow delivery companies to prioritise the resupply of essential goods.

French e-tailer La Redoute suspends logistics activity

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