Retail giant Amazon says it has invested more than £3 billion into the East Midlands in a little over a decade.
According to a new in-house report the global retailer said since 2010 its investment had contributed an estimated £3.1 billion to the region’s GDP and created 8,000 jobs with 200 apprenticeships.
It said across the region more than 6,000 SMEs had worked in partnership with the business since 2010, recording more than £190 million in exports.
Breaking the figures down, Amazon said it had put £1.2 billion into its logistics network and warehouses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, along with £1.7 billion into Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire. It has put smaller investment into Lincolnshire.
Nationally the US company said it had put £43 billion into the UK since 2010 and created 75,000 jobs, contributing an estimated £36 billion to UK GDP. Across the UK it has 24 big fulfilment centres and dozens of delivery stations.
It has recently completed a year-long expansion at its Coalville site in north west Leicestershire, which has increased the capacity of the site by a third without increasing the one million sq ft footprint of the building.
A four-storey tower has been built inside the fulfilment centre, increasing floor space and also enabling the 1,000 or so workers there to manage a greater variety of products.
Vivek Khanka, the general manager at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, said the business was supporting local businesses, creating jobs and making a positive contribution to the regional economy.
He said: “We help more than 2,000small businesses across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire sell on Amazon and reach customers around the world, and we also continue to support community organisations across the region through donations and volunteering.
“Recently, we have donated to a range of good causes including Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice while working with Magic Breakfast to deliver healthy breakfasts to vulnerable children and schools.”
