AO adds new warehouse as business booms during coronavirus outbreak
Online electricals retailer AO is opening its third distribution warehouse in four months.
This one is its biggest warehouse to date, adding over 275,000 sq ft of distribution space to the pureplay’s portfolio with the premises at G-Park in Stoke-on-Trent.
In recent months, AO has acquired over half a million sq ft of new warehousing space across Cheshire and Staffordshire as it looks to manage growing customer demand while allowing colleagues to work socially distanced during the coronavirus pandemic.
Opening this week, the fifth warehouse in AO’s portfolio will create 120 new jobs in a range of roles. While it will be used primarily for distribution to its 18 ‘local hub’ depots nationwide, there are plans for it to include a delivery depot to be even closer to customers in the area.
David Ashwell, MD of AO Logistics, says: “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.”
He concludes: “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.”
