The retailer said it had taken 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.