DHL UK expansion to create 4,000 jobs on e-tail boom

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jul 6, 2022

Logistics firm DHL is to vastly increase its processing and delivery capacity in the UK as part of a new £190 million expansion plan to take advantage of the continuing boom in digital retail.

The German firm said it was going to create 10 new collection and delivery depots across the country while expanding 20 existing sites, creating up to 4,000 jobs.

The firm said the investment formed part of £482 million plans to expand its UK e-commerce operation, DHL Parcel UK.

Half of the new financing will be used on a new hub near Coventry airport. Once built, the Segro Park Coventry Gateway will process up to 500,000 items a day and create more than 600 new jobs alone.

DHL said it's also spending £64 million on upgrading its fleet, buying six fully electric trucks, 30 liquefied natural gas trucks and 18 electric tugs. Overall, parent company Deutsche Post DHL Group plans to spend €7 billion (£6 billion) on sustainable fuel and clean technologies by 2030.

Chief financial officer of DHL Parcel UK Peter Fuller said the investment would help the company take advantage of future market growth, noting "e-commerce is going to continue to shape the world around us.

“Our people and partners have delivered over the past two years to get us to the level of growth where major expansion is required to meet customer demand.”

It comes after the company has seen a 40% rise in volumes since the start of 2020, following a boom in its e-commerce division.