The Amazon team in Exeter has more than doubled this year with a further 80 seasonal workers helping during the Christmas rush.
The online retailer opened its mega fulfilment centre at and the workforce has been growing for its busiest time of year.
The delivery station team is increasing from 30 to 80 permanent employees for 2020 with a further 80 seasonal workers for the festive period.
It has been a good year for online retailers which have as many parts of the economy has struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The retailer has continued to recruit people who had lost jobs in sectors including hospitality and aviation.
The Exeter area took a major hit at the start of lockdown in March when regional airline Flybe collapsed into administration with the loss of 2,000 jobs - 1,000 of which were based in Exeter.
Among the new workers at Amazon is Andrew Munro, a former aviation engineer.
He now handles customer orders as a sortation associate.
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Andrew, from Exeter, joined Amazon in May in a temporary role after losing his job in the aviation industry as a result of the pandemic. Andrew, who is now in a permanent role, said: “I went through a challenging time looking for employment because so many people were applying. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity with Amazon. Since I joined I have been very impressed - it is a great team to be part of and everybody really cares about the job they do.
He added: “I have been blown away by the scale of everything. This is the busiest time of the year and I am very pleased to be part of it.”
Retail experts predict this Christmas will be an online Christmas like no other.
According to new research, shoppers are likely to spend £39.41bn online this Christmas as online spending outstrips high street sales for the first time.
The home delivery firm ParcelHero says that online sales are set to overtake spending in physical stores for the first time this Christmas as Brits brace for a ‘Covid Christmas’.
Employees working from home and fears over the Covid-19 virus mean that more people are choosing to shop online.
Employment in the sector isfor the workers affected by the collapse of big name High Street names this year.
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And the who have scaled up their ecommerce offer.
But there is still a place for the High Street with a ensuring a vibrant future, according to retail experts.
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