Amazon Continues UK Expansion With New Distribution Centre, Will Create 1,000 Jobs

Online retailer Amazon said on Wednesday it

would open a distribution centre in Bristol, south west England, in 2018, continuing a rapid expansion that saw its investments in the UK triple last year to over GBP 400 million ($513.96 million or roughly Rs. 3,309 crores).

Britain is Amazon's third-largest market outside North America, with sales of $9.5 billion (roughly Rs. 60,905 crores) last year - up almost 20 percent in sterling terms on 2015.

The US group already planned to open four additional distribution, or fulfilment, centres in 2017, in addition to the 12 operating at the end of last year.

Amazon said it intended to hire an additional 1,000 workers at the Bristol plant on permanent contracts.

Following criticism from politicians about weak worker protection, the company has been increasingly employing its warehouse staff directly, rather than indirectly via contract firms which offer little employment security.