Online retail giant Amazon has announced plans to build a new distribution centre in Bristol in response to “increasing customer demand.”
The new fulfilment centre, based on Severn Beach just outside of Bristol, will reportedly allow the company to expand its selection of products and support small businesses selling on its Marketplace platform.
Amazon will shortly begin recruiting engineers, operations managers, HR and IT specialists for the warehouse, ahead of its opening next year. Fully operational, the fulfilment centre is expected to support 1,000 permanent jobs.
Amazon has faced criticism for poorly treating and underpaying its warehouse staff. The company said all permanent employees at the Bristol fulfilment centre will start on at hourly wage of £7.65, rising to £8.15 or more over their first two years on the job, a rate Amazon said was “competitive.” Some employees at the centre will also have access to “comprehensive benefits” including medical insurance, income protection, subsidised meals, and a company pension plan.
Stefano Perego, Amazon’s director of UK customer fulfilment, said: “There are several factors we consider when deciding on where to place a new fulfilment centre, and Bristol offers fantastic infrastructure and talented local people who we look forward to joining the Amazon team.”
Filton and Bradley Stoke MP Jack Lopresti (Conservative) welcomed the announcement from Amazon. “This will bring more jobs to our area and offer careers with training opportunities, helping the local economy to grow,” he said.
“An international outward-looking company like Amazon will help us maximise the fantastic opportunities for our region after Brexit.”
The company is scheduled to open new fulfilment centres in Doncaster, Warrington and Tilbury this autumn, to join 13 existing warehouses and taking the Seattle-based company’s workforce in the UK to 24,000.
