Amazon To Shut Down Three UK Warehouses, Closure Will Affect 1,200 Jobs - Reports

US retail giant Amazon has announced plans to close three old warehouses employing several hundred workers each and open two new fulfillment centers in the United Kingdom, media reported on Tuesday, citing a company spokesperson

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2023) US retail giant Amazon has announced plans to close three old warehouses employing several hundred workers each and open two new fulfillment centers in the United Kingdom, media reported on Tuesday, citing a company spokesperson.

Warehouses will be closed in the English towns of Hemel Hempstead and Doncaster, and in Gourock, Scotland, Sky news reported, estimating that the closures would affect 1,200 jobs.

"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," an Amazon spokesperson was quoted as saying.

Instead, the company will open two new fulfillment centers in the West Midlands and County Durham to create 2,500 new jobs over the next three years, the spokesperson said.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing sources, that Amazon had plans to lay off about 18,000 employees, significantly more than the e-commerce giant had originally announced. It is not immediately clear if the closures in the UK are included in this figure.

Amazon, one of the largest private employers in the world with over 1.5 million employees, including warehouse personnel, is reportedly preparing for a likely slowdown in growth as rising inflation forces businesses and consumers to slash spending.