Hermes buys two new depots to meet e-commerce surge

Hermes has acquired two new depots in the north of England to meet rising demand driven by a surge in online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The delivery company has purchased a 111,600sq ft depot at Europort Wakefield and a 47,704sq ft site at Boldon Business Park in Gateshead.

The Gateshead acquisition gives the company the additional capacity to cope with increased volumes at its Tyneside depot.

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The two new purchases add a combined 159,304sq ft to the Hermes portfolio.

The acquisitions follow Hermes' major recruitment drive earlier this month to hire 10,500 “parcel people” to handle volumes that will be double those of last year’s Black Friday and Christmas period.

The new roles include 1,500 full-time staff at its head office in Yorkshire, as well as drivers, warehouse operatives, managers and supervisors across its UK network.