Amazon expansion gathers pace

Online retailer Amazon yesterday unveiled plans to open a processing centre in Staffordshire in a move that will create 900 jobs, on top of more than 1,650 posts already announced for Scotland.

The latest centre will start processing orders from September and will deal with customers from throughout the world. Amazon plans to open a one- million sq ft order fulfilment centre in Dunfermline before the end of the year, creating 750 permanent jobs and 1,500 temporary jobs during peak periods.

Also, the firm is next month due to open a customer service centre in Edinburgh, which will create a further 900 jobs.

Amazon UK has six fulfilment centres - Glenrothes and Gourock north of the Border, along with Swansea in Wales, and Marston Gate, Peterborough and Doncaster in England.

The retailer revealed a steeper than expected drop in profits earlier this year after the cost of expanding its operations offset a jump in sales. Net income of $201 million (122m) was down by a third on a year ago.