Amazon has unveiled a new £107 million distribution centre in Peterborough, marking a significant expansion of its logistics network in the UK. The 690,000 square foot facility, located on Flaxley Road, is part of the company's £40 billion investment plan for 2025-27 and is expected to create 1,400 jobs. The site will handle up to five million items weekly, primarily stocking high-demand products like pet food and toilet paper, which will then be distributed to about 20 fulfilment centres across the country.
The centre is the first of Amazon's One Distribution Centres in the UK, designed to streamline operations by reducing processing steps and speeding up deliveries. According to Tomislav Batinic, Amazon's site leader, this facility represents a 'complete reinvention' of part of their logistics operation and is the largest of its kind in Europe. The site has the capacity to store 16 million items at peak, roughly twice that of other sites.
Unlike traditional distribution centres, this new facility does not ship directly to customers. Instead, it acts as a hub for frequently purchased items, which are then combined with the rest of a customer's order at fulfilment centres before delivery. The existing Amazon site in Peterborough, which opened in 2010 and employs over 1,000 staff, is situated next to the new centre.