Amazon has announced plans to invest £40bn in the UK over the next three years.
The investment will include four new fulfilment centres and thousands of “new permanent, full-time” jobs.
The e-commerce giant will invest in “new delivery stations nationwide”, and make upgrades to its existing network of more than 100 operations sites. The “vast majority” of the new jobs would be outside London and the south east, it said, including 2,000 jobs at a previously announced fulfilment centre in Hull and 2,000 jobs at another CFC in Northampton. Positions will also be created at new sites in the east Midlands.
The new sites would mean faster deliveries for customers, the company said.
The amount also includes two new buildings at Amazon’s corporate HQ in east London, enhancements to transportation infrastructure in all regions, and the redevelopment of Bray Film Studios in Berkshire, where many original TV and film productions are made for Amazon Prime Video.
“We now employ over 75,000 people and have become one of the UK’s largest private sector employers and taxpayers,” said Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. “When Amazon invests, it’s not only in London and the south east – we’re bringing innovation and job creation to communities throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, strengthening the UK’s economy and delivering better experiences for customers wherever they live.”
The announcement was welcomed by prime minister Keir Starmer, who called it “another major win to Britain’s basket and is a massive vote of confidence in the UK as the best place to do business”.
“It means thousands of new jobs – real opportunities for people in every corner of the country to build careers, learn new skills, and support their families. Whether it’s cutting-edge AI or same-day delivery, this deal shows that our Plan for Change is working – bringing in investment, driving growth, and putting more money in people’s pockets,” Starmer said.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves added that it was “a powerful endorsement of Britain’s economic strengths”.
Over the past decade, Amazon had invested more than £75bn in its operations in the UK, it said.
The new investment was expected to “drive innovation throughout the UK”, Amazon said, and contribute an estimated additional £38bn to the UK’s GDP.
1 Readers' comment