DPD to create 6,000 new jobs in response to boom in online shopping
DPD is to create 6,000 new jobs across the UK as a result of the boom in online shopping due to the Covid-19 crisis.
The new jobs will include roles for delivery and HGV drivers, warehouse staff, management and support staff, and mechanics.
The parcel delivery firm will also invest £200 million this year in expanding its next-day parcel capacity. This will include £100 million being spent on vehicles, £60 million on 15 new regional depots and the remainder on technology.
In a statement, DPD said demand for online deliveries has risen significantly during lockdown and it expects the growth to continue this year even after shops reopen.
The new infrastructure investments and recruitment will be completed before Black Friday as the company prepares for what it predicts will be the busiest Cyber Weekend and Christmas period in its history.
Dwain McDonald, DPD chief executive, said: “We are experiencing the biggest boom in online retailing in the UK’s history and we are making this unprecedented investment in our infrastructure and people to ensure we can continue to meet the high levels of demand for our services.
“I do think the high street will bounce back from where things are now, but we have to base our modelling on our conversations with retailers and their projections. It looks like there will remain a much greater reliance on ecommerce in the future – that’s going to be our ‘new normal’.”
