Prime as Amazon delivers £40 billion boost for UK
The money is being injected by the Seattle-based giant in a three-year programme and will fund new fulfilment centres in Northampton and other UK centres, creating 4,000 jobs in the process - half of them created in Northampton.
New delivery stations will also be delivered nationwide, as well as upgrades and expansions to Amazon’s existing network of more than 100 operations buildings across the country.
The investment also includes part of the £8 bn announced last September for building, operating, and maintaining data centres in the UK. This will support the UK’s ambition to increase AI compute capacity and meet the growing demand for cloud and AI technologies, while creating thousands of skilled jobs in the tech supply chain.
Alongside the planned creation of the new operations facilities, the investment will also go towards the redevelopment of the historic Bray Film Studios in Berkshire, continued investment in multimillion-pound skills and training programmes, and landmark original TV and film productions.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who met Amazon’s CEO last week ahead of the announcement, said: “Amazon’s £40 billion investment adds another major win to Britain’s basket and is a massive vote of confidence in the UK as the best place to do business. It means thousands of new jobs - real opportunities for people in every corner of the country to build careers, learn new skills, and support their families.
“Whether it’s cutting-edge AI or same-day delivery, this deal shows that our Plan for Change is working—bringing in investment, driving growth, and putting more money in people’s pockets.”
Amazon is offering 1,000 new full-time apprenticeship roles this year, and already employs more than 75,000 people in over 100 sites across the UK. This new investment will supercharge its impact on local economies. The data centre investment alone is expected to contribute £14 billion to the UK economy over five years (2024-2028) and support 14,000 full-time equivalent jobs each year – many of them in small and medium-sized businesses.
Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy, said: “Amazon has been proud to serve our customers in the UK for the past 27 years. Thanks to their support, we’ve grown to be part of over 100 communities nationwide, from developing drone technology in Darlington to producing world-class entertainment at our studios in Bray. We now employ over 75,000 people and have become one of the UK’s largest private sector employers and taxpayers.
“When Amazon invests, it’s not only in London and the South East – we’re bringing innovation and job creation to communities throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, strengthening the UK’s economy and delivering better experiences for customers wherever they live.”