Amazon expands UK operations

Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 09:41 by Graham Miller

By the end of 2017 a total of 24,000 people in the UK will work for online retail giant, Amazon, as this week it confirmed its latest bout of expansion plans.

Internet Retailing reports that its workforce will be growing by over a quarter, factoring in not only its infrastructure which helps British customers carry out safe shopping online, but also those who work for its cloud-based IT services.

A variety of ambitious new projects are set to take place in the UK this year, with the development of Prime Air likely to be one of the more groundbreaking ideas trialled by Amazon. Using drones to deliver orders to customers is something that has been made possible here thanks to favourable regulations, although how quickly it rolls out across the country is yet to be determined.

Company spokesperson, Doug Gurr, said that as well as creating thousands of roles nationwide, Amazon would also be offering apprenticeships to youngsters looking to get their foot on the ladder of employment and kick start their careers.

A new office is opening up in London, while distribution centres in many other regions will be increasing their capacities to cope with the ongoing rise in demand for safe shopping online.

Of course, it is worth pointing out that Amazon’s workforce fluctuates depending on the season, with lots of temporary employees taken on in the run up to Christmas to cope with the crush. But it is still a major employer and one which is seeking to do more to help its staff forge a career in e-commerce and IT.

Gurr said that 2017 would be a year in which increased emphasis was placed on improving customer services, not only for people who buy direct from Amazon but also for those who snap up items from third party marketplace sellers.