DPD adds 6,000 new UK jobs to meet e-commerce demand

DPD has announced 6,000 new jobs in the UK to help it meet new demand from online retailers.

The courier company will be recruiting for 2,500 new full-time jobs in depot, hub and management positions, as well as 3,500 new drivers.

DPD is also making investments of £200 million, including £100 million on vehicles and £60 million on 15 new regional depots, which is three times as many as the company had originally planned for 2020.

DPD cited the COVID-19 lockdown as a major reason for spike in demand, which has been comparable to the festive peak season in terms of volume. But according to the company, an upward trend had already begun before lockdown took place, and in combination a significant boost in e-commerce demand is set to become the “new normal”.

“DPD has been one of the fastest growing major companies in the UK in the last 10 years, due to the growth in e-commerce,” said CEO Dwain McDonald. “But what we have seen in recent months is potentially a much more significant shift in behaviour, and we believe elements of it will be permanent.”

While McDonald thinks the shuttered high street will bounce back, there will be a much greater reliance on e-commerce in the future, based on projections from the retailers themselves.

Source: DPD

Header image: Radoslav Bali