According to media reports, Amazon has further deepened its commitment to the UK, with the e-commerce giant saying it plans to invest £40 billion ($54 billion) in the UK over the next three years.
Amazon said on Tuesday that its expansion in the UK will create thousands of jobs. The UK is Amazon's third largest market after the United States and Germany. The company currently has 75,000 employees in the UK, ranking among the top ten employers in the private sector.
Amazon's plans include building two new advanced fulfillment centers in the East Midlands in central England, which are expected to be put into use in 2027.
In addition, the previously announced new fulfillment centers in Hull in northern England and Northampton in central England will also be put into use this year and next year respectively. The fulfillment centers in Hull and Northampton will create 2,000 jobs each.
Fulfillment centers are large warehouses where customer orders can be picked, packed and shipped - some of which use the latest technology including robots.
Amazon also plans to build new delivery stations across the UK, upgrade and expand more than 100 existing operating buildings, invest in strengthening its transportation infrastructure, build two new buildings at its London corporate headquarters, and transform Bray Film Studios in Berkshire, southern England.
Last July, Amazon Prime Video announced the acquisition of the historic British Bray Film Studios. The studio dates back to 1951 and was the birthplace of many classic films and musical works, including "Dracula" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". Since 2022, Bray Film Studios has become the production base for the second season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power".
Amazon's cloud computing division announced in September last year that it would spend 8 billion pounds to build, operate and maintain data centers in the UK from 2024 to 2028. The 40 billion pounds includes part of the 8 billion pounds, as well as the wages of Amazon employees.
Amazon's latest investment commitment was praised by the British government as a vote of confidence in its economic policies. British Prime Minister Starmer said Amazon's plan represented "a huge vote of confidence in the UK as the best place to do business." British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said the investment was "a powerful testament to the strength of the British economy."
The Labour government, which came to power last year, has made boosting Britain's weak economic growth a priority and wants to see an increase in foreign investment.
