The coronavirus crisis has impacted every aspect of the office products sector. Here’s a few examples:

 

UK dealer groups hold hands

 

Two UK dealer groups - Integra Business Solutions and Nemo - are to work together on joint initiatives that will provide benefits and support to their members.

 

According to OPI, the groups said they had taken the decision to cooperate given the “impending crisis” facing the independent dealer community as a result of the spread of coronavirus. Integra earlier announced that it would give its dealers a 50 per cent discount on their membership fees for three months as well as provide other forms of support.

 

Integra CEO Aidan McDonough commented: “Integra has already announced unprecedented measures to support our members at this time. Through this collaboration, we want to help protect the wider dealer community and the independent channel. This is the time for us all to put our differences aside to work together for the collective good.”

 

Hamelin Europe shutdown

 

European stationery manufacturer Hamelin has decided to temporarily halt production at three of its facilities in France.

 

After initially planning to keep the sites open following the French government’s national lockdown, Hamelin sent more than 500 workers home for two weeks after they demanded a shutdown.

 

During the closure, Hamelin will deep clean the facilities and make further improvements to workers’ health and safety conditions ahead of the planned reopening on 6 April.

 

The company is right in the middle of its production run for this year’s back-to-school season, the period which accounts for around 70 per cent of its sales. 

 

London Stationery Show re-scheduled

 

Organiser Ocean Media Group has confirmed its decision to postpone the tenth London Stationery Show, which was due to take place in April.

 

The new date is 11 September 2020 and the show will take place at its usual venue, the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. All existing registrations will remain in place for the rescheduled date and pre-registration will stay open to enable visitors to register for fast-track entry on arrival at the event.

 

Amazon hiring

 

Amazon is looking to hire 100,000 people in the US as its reports a significant increase in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.

 

The company said it was opening full and part-time positions across its US fulfilment centres and delivery network to meet the rise in orders it is experiencing. 

 

Earlier this week, Amazon said it was seeing a surge in online shopping and that this was affecting its delivery times and the availability of some products, such as some popular household staples categories.

 

Xerox pauses HP bid

 

Xerox has put on hold a number of initiatives in relation to its attempts to acquire HP Inc due to the coronavirus outbreak.

 

“In light of the escalating Covid-19 pandemic, Xerox needs to prioritise the health and safety of its employees, customers, partners and affiliates over and above all other considerations, including its proposal to acquire HP,” said CEO John Visentin in a press release.

 

New production lines

 

Companies in several countries are gearing up to change production lines to manufacture products needed to fight the COVID-19 outbreak. 

 

Sharp Corporation said it will start making surgical masks using a plant in central Japan that usually makes displays. And Michigan-based office furniture company Steelcase is exploring ways to use its factories to make health care items, studying whether it can make masks and protective equipment or partitions for hospitals.

 

Rum producer Bacardi said its distillery in Puerto Rico has shifted to making ethanol needed to produce hand sanitiser while small US distilleries such as Eight Oaks Farm in Pennsylvania are converting operations to make alcohol-based disinfectant. 

 

Germany-based Beiersdorf, known for skin care products such as the Nivea and Coppertone brands, and Luxury giant LVMH is preparing to make medical disinfectants in Europe for hospitals, police and firefighters. French cosmetics giant L’Oreal says it is making sanitiser gel.

 

Electronics delays 

 

About 69 per cent of electronics manufacturers have flagged possible supplier delays averaging three weeks, according to industry trade group IPC International.

 

South Korea, home of the world’s biggest memory chip maker, Samsung Electronics, reported a 20 per cent jump in semiconductor exports.