Amazon UK: 2,000 warehouse jobs to be created at new £500 million fulfilment centre outlet in Northampton

Online retailer Amazon plans to construct a new multimillion-pound facility, creating over 2,000 new jobs. The "fulfilment centre" is set to be constructed in Northampton and open for business in 2026.

At launch, 1,400 new jobs will be created by the development. After three years of operation, it is anticipated that this number will exceed 2,000.

The jobs will include engineers, HR and IT specialists, health and safety specialists, finance specialists, and staff to pick, pack, and ship orders for customers.

Amazon said the new building will be the latest generation fulfilment centre, with three floors of robotics where goods will be stored and customer orders will be picked using advanced technology.

Louise Wall, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said: “Amazon’s investment in Northamptonshire will create thousands of new jobs in one of the most advanced buildings of its type in the world.

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“This is a significant endorsement of the strategic location of the SEGRO Logistics Park Northampton and the importance of our region’s role in the UK logistics industry.”

Neil Travis, Amazon’s regional director, said: “The East Midlands is an important region for Amazon, with more than 6,000 small- and medium-sized enterprise selling partners, and I am delighted to confirm our ongoing commitment with this £500 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art fulfilment centre in Northampton.

“Amazon continues to invest in our buildings and innovative technology to provide our people with some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world, ensuring their wellbeing while delivering for our customers.”

Amazon's fulfilment centres leverage robotic technologies in several ways to store products and fulfil customer orders efficiently, including systems like Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), which can efficiently stack items vertically and retrieve them when needed.

Robots are often also used to assist human workers in picking items for customer orders, and can navigate through the warehouse shelves, locate the required products, and transport them to the packing area.

Some fulfilment centres also use robotic systems for packaging customer orders. These robots can pack items into boxes, apply labels, and prepare shipments for delivery with precision and speed.

Amazon said it has invested more than £56 billion in the UK since 2010. Amazon has several fulfilment centres across the UK, but its Tilbury warehouse is the largest in the country, covering a massive 2 million square feet.

Its size and location by the River Thames make it a vital part of Amazon's delivery network, a crucial component in Amazon getting packages to UK customers fast and reliably.