251 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

A $50 million fulfillment and distribution centre speculated to be a custom build for online retailer Amazon has been proposed for lands at Victoria International Airport on the Saanich Peninsula.

 

The proposal is eyed for nearly eight-acres of land and would span nearly 500,000 square feet, or roughly twice the size of the Thrifty Foods distribution centre situated near the proposed development site.

 

More: https://www.timescol...ands-1.24312484

[Victoria Watcher]

that's the future of retail folks.  no point fighting it.  plus it will add a few McJobs for our lowest-skilled people.  since call centres are mostly off-shore now.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 April 2021 - 06:15 AM.

[Mike K.]

In the article it says the building will be nearly the size of the Bay Centre.

 

True. And 8,000% more efficient, while employing 1/10th of the workers.

[Victoria Watcher]

will its escalators work though?

[Mike K.]

You can always send them back if they don't, I guess.

[Victoria Watcher]

You can always send them back if they don't, I guess.

 

perhaps in a strange twist of fate in 2024 the bay center WILL order new escalators through Amazon and they will arrive via that warehouse.

[spanky123]

that's the future of retail folks. no point fighting it. plus it will add a few McJobs for our lowest-skilled people. since call centres are mostly off-shore now.

The 30 jobs will be to maintain the robots that will do all of the work so they will likely be well paying. Unfortunately they will replace about 500 entry level jobs in retail as 1 hour delivery to Victoria will be faster than you can drive downtown and purchase from your local retailer.

[Mike K.]

You’d certainly hope they replace them. Worker advocates keep saying retail jobs offer pay that is poverty level, without good benefits, rigid in its scheduling and without protections. The logical step is to get rid of employment so fraught with negatives.

[spanky123]

You’d certainly hope they replace them. Worker advocates keep saying retail jobs offer pay that is poverty level, without good benefits, rigid in its scheduling and without protections. The logical step is to get rid of employment so fraught with negatives.

 

Well if 500 people lose their jobs then the poverty pimps can take 500 homes from the middle income ranks and give them to the displaced workers. That will help with affordability!

[max.bravo]

Would be great to have true one day shipping on the island. Let's hope whatever inevitable NIMBY/ anti-business brigade that pops up to oppose this isn't successful.

On reddit they are complaining about increased truck traffic snarling up the pat bay / beacon ave intersection.    

[spanky123]

Would be great to have true one day shipping on the island. Let's hope whatever inevitable NIMBY/ anti-business brigade that pops up to oppose this isn't successful.

On reddit they are complaining about increased truck traffic snarling up the pat bay / beacon ave intersection.    

 

It will be much faster than that. With 800 delivery vehicles and optimized fulfillment there will be shipments leaving every minute.

Edited by spanky123, 28 April 2021 - 08:34 AM.

[Rob Randall]

A friend just bought a tiny bottle of nail polish and it came in a cardboard box the size of a toaster oven. Stock tip: invest in local pulp mills.

[Jackerbie]

A friend just bought a tiny bottle of nail polish and it came in a cardboard box the size of a toaster oven. Stock tip: invest in local pulp mills.

Amazon has these "add on" deals to push you above the minimum spend for free shipping. In my last order I added a two pack of sharpies for like $2.50. The items I originally wanted came from the Surrey distribution center, the sharpies came from Mississauga in a shoebox. Free shipping for double the shipments!

[spanky123]

^ Amazon must hold enormous power over courier companies. I have received products shipped from Toronto or California for less than what it would cost me to ship the products alone!

 

30 years ago people lamented Walmart and its destruction of downtown retail in the USA and Canada. Amazon is doing more damage than Walmart to retail in 1/4 of the time.

[Mike K.]

^ Amazon must hold enormous power over courier companies. I have received products shipped from Toronto or California for less than what it would cost me to ship the products alone!

 

30 years ago people lamented Walmart and its destruction of downtown retail in the USA and Canada. Amazon is doing more damage than Walmart to retail in 1/4 of the time.

 

Those shipping companies almost always have some percentage of empty space on every truck, train and plane. Giving it to Amazon at even a tiny profit makes huge business sense.

 

Amazon also has its own shipping and air cargo operations, and local contractors that distribute parcels. It's not UPS or Fedex that's doing it any more, at least not the majority of it.

[spanky123]

I wonder if the CoV (and other local munis) will be counting the energy consumption of 800 delivery vehicles delivering packages point to point in their GHG emission reduction targets? 

Edited by spanky123, 28 April 2021 - 10:10 AM.

[Mike K.]

I wonder if the CoV (and other local munis) will be counting the energy consumption of 800 delivery vehicles delivering packages point to point in their GHG emission reduction targets? 

 

It'll be electric drones soon enough.

[Rob Randall]

Amazon has these "add on" deals to push you above the minimum spend for free shipping. In my last order I added a two pack of sharpies for like $2.50. The items I originally wanted came from the Surrey distribution center, the sharpies came from Mississauga in a shoebox. Free shipping for double the shipments!

 

You had *two* Sharpies flown in from Ontario instead of walking across the street and buying them.

[spanky123]

^ Probably not too many flying from the airport!

 

These new Amazon warehouses are a thing of beauty. The reason why they have 80' ceilings is that they shelve that high and almost all fulfillment is machinery controlled.

[Mike K.]

You had *two* Sharpies flown in from Ontario instead of walking across the street and buying them.

 

In a climate crisis it's preferable for us not to move too much, to keep our collective caloric intake lower.