Online electricals retailer AO is opening its third distribution warehouse in four months at G-Park in Stoke-on-Trent as part a move to create a strong logistics hub in the North West.
This latest addition to AO’s warehouse portfolio adds 275,000sq ft of distribution space and will create around 120 jobs.
The G-Park site, which opens this week, will be used primarily for distribution to AO’s 18 ‘local hub’ depots nationwide. AO also plans to include a delivery depot at the location.
This latest facility brings the number of AO warehouses to five. Since this year, AO has acquired over half a million sq ft of new warehousing space across Cheshire and Staffordshire as it expands its capacity to manage growing customer demand driven largely by the rise in online shopping during the pandemic.
AO is also planning to recruit a total of 650 new staff across its business in response to the rapid growth in demand.
Read more
- New Gravesend AO depot will create jobs for delivery drivers
- AO on hunt for 250 logistics staff as surge in online demand continues
- AO opens third Crewe warehouse as online demand grows
David Ashwell, MD of AO Logistics, said: “Expanding our logistics network is a crucial step in our growth strategy, so we can continue to serve customers when they need us the most.
“We’ve really had to act quickly to adapt to an influx in customers following the Covid-19 lockdown. By actively securing more warehousing space and creating hundreds of new, quality jobs in the process, we’re working hard to invest in the future.”
“As a business, we’re proud to provide both an essential service for customers and a safe working environment for our people, with social distancing in place.
“Our team have continued to adapt to necessary changes and they are taking the swift expansion in their stride. With our latest distribution sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford, we’ve now established a strong logistics hub in the North West.”
AO.com acquired two-person delivery company Expert Logistics in 2009, and now offers seven-day-a-week, next day delivery of its range of 12,000 products, to all UK postcodes.
