Ocado creates 300 jobs with new customer service hub

The retailer said it had taken out a 15-year lease to rent the top two floors of the newly renovated The Beam, a 59,427 sq ft building in Sunderland city centre, and would begin recruiting for new customer service roles by the end of the year.

The 300 new roles will “provide key customer service support” to Ocado’s joint venture with Marks & Spencer, which was announced in February.

The new Sunderland hub will serve as the etailer’s second customer service centre and will be similar to its existing site in Hatfield.

Ocado said it made the decision to base its second hub in Sunderland after executives were “bowled over by the fantastic amenities” available in the building, and “the city’s reputation as one of the country’s leading customer service hubs”.

The Northeast of England is home to 145 contact centres, employing more than 40,000 people across the region.

Ocado’s general manager of customer service and strategy Ian Pattle said: “We’re pleased to be coming to Sunderland as we grow our market-leading customer service proposition. The new contact centre will support our existing service and we look forward to welcoming new talent from the local area to our team.”

Leader of Sunderland City Council Graeme Miller said: “Ocado’s decision to invest in The Beam is absolutely fantastic news not only for Sunderland but for the entire Northeast region.

“We have built a fantastic relationship with Ocado over the course of the last year, and we will build on that to ensure they’re supported to make their new Sunderland base an overwhelming success. We couldn’t be happier that we’ve attracted such an exceptional brand to our city centre and we look forward to supporting them as they build a team and grow from here.”