Move over Stonehenge! The UK's newest tourist attraction is an Amazon warehouse near Birmingham
- Amazon's 'fulfilment centre' in Rugeley will soon open for guided tours
- Family and friends of employees were given inaugural tours recently
- Visits will be open to anyone older than six, and tours will last an hour
- Similar tours are offered at Amazon warehouses in the US and Germany
It may be one of the UK’s most unlikely tourist draws – a warehouse in the Midlands where everything from books and gadgets are stored before they are delivered to consumers’ homes.
An Amazon distribution centre in Rugeley, Staffordshire, has opened its doors to the public for the first time, offering guided tours for visitors.
The inaugural tours of the site, north of Birmingham, were offered to friends and families of Amazon employees, but they will soon be available to holidaymakers, school groups or other curious individuals.
Amazon will begin offering guided tours to the public at its Rugeley distribution centre later this month
This week Amazon launched an online sign-up for groups or individuals who wish to visit the ‘fulfilment centre’, where internet purchases are shipped, with the first tours beginning later this month.
Christopher North, managing director at Amazon.co.uk Ltd, said: ‘Amazon.co.uk sold more than 5.5 million items on Black Friday 2014 at a rate of 64 items per second.
Share this article
‘We are now proud to invite our customers to see first-hand how our world-class employees and advanced technology in our fulfilment centres come together to make this magic happen.’
Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes look at how millions of products are moved from the warehouse to delivery vans.
And they will see people at work for a company which has been at the centre of allegations of harsh conditions such as zero-hour contracts and tracking tags worn by employees.
The inaugural tours at Amazon's 'fulfilment centre' in Rugeley were open to family and friends of employees
Tours are open to anyone over the age of six, with each visit lasting about one hour.
The distribution centre is 700,000-square feet in size, which is the equivalent of nine-and-a-half football pitches.
Amazon said it has created hundreds of new permanent jobs in its ‘fulfilment centres’ in the last few months, bringing its total roster of employees to 7,000 at eight warehouses and corporate offices.
John Tagawa, Amazon.co.uk Ltd’s director of UK operations, said: ‘We’re extremely proud of the efforts of everyone who works in our fulfilment centres and opening our workplaces up to these tours is the perfect way to recognise all of their achievements.’
Similar tours are offered at Amazon warehouses in the US and Germany, and there are plans to expand the programme to more European countries.
Most watched News videos
- Russia: Nuclear weapons in Poland would become targets in wider war
- Prince Harry presents a Soldier of the Year award to US combat medic
- 'Dine-and-dashers' confronted by staff after 'trying to do a runner'
- Moment Met Police officer tasers aggressive dog at Wembley Stadium
- Boris Johnson: Time to kick out London's do-nothing Mayor Sadiq Khan
- Commuters evacuate King's Cross station as smoke fills the air
- Wills' rockstar reception! Prince of Wales greeted with huge cheers
- Alfie Best reveals why he decided to leave Britain and move to Monaco
- Ashley Judd shames decision to overturn Weinstein rape conviction
- Shocking moment pandas attack zookeeper in front of onlookers
- Shocking moment British woman is punched by Thai security guard
- Shocking moment gunman allegedly shoots and kills Iraqi influencer
