Amazon to close three UK warehouses

THE WAREHOUSES being closed are in Hemel Hempstead, Doncaster and Gourock, in the west of Scotland. 

That said, the online retailer plans to open two new centres creating 2,500 jobs over the next three years. 

The firm said staff at the sites being closed would be offered the chance to work at other Amazon sites. For example, around 500 employees at Hemel Hempstead will be offered roles at Amazon’s Dunstable fulfilment centre and other locations in the area under the proposal. Around 400 people at Doncaster’s site in Balby Carr Bank will be transferred to the town’s other two fulfilment centres on Doncaster’s iPort. 

The revamp is a response to Amazon’s over-extension of capacity built up in reaction to the pandemic.

An Amazon spokesperson said: “We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees and customers. As part of that effort, we may close older sites, enhance existing facilities, or open new sites, and we’ve launched a consultation on the proposed closure of three fulfilment centres in 2023. We also plan to open two new fulfilment centres creating 2,500 new jobs over the next three years. All employees affected by site closure consultations will be offered the opportunity to transfer to other facilities, and we remain committed to our customers, employees, and communities across the UK.”

The new warehouses are planned for Peddimore, West Midlands, and Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham.