Hermes delivers jobs

HERMES is creating 10,500 jobs as locked down Britons turn to online shopping.

The delivery group Hermes is investing £100m to meet the demand from stay-athome shoppers.

Hermes said it is dealing with a massive spike in internet shopping caused by the coronavirus lockdown.

The business will take on around 1,500 full-time staff, including workers at its Yorkshire head office, warehouse staff, and drivers. It will also create another 9,000 opportunities for self-employed couriers up and down the country.

Shoppers have turned to the internet instead of the closed High Street during lockdown. High Street retailers are trying to attract more customers through their doors after shops were allowed to reopen.

However, Hermes said it thought online shopping would not lose ground even as the High Street welcomes customers back.

‘The pandemic has expedited the already phenomenal growth of online shopping and we see no sign of this changing,’ said chief executive Martijn de Lange.

It could prove a further headache for physical retailers who were feeling the pinch before the pandemic.

Hermes said it is preparing for a massive Christmas season, and expects to carry around 3.5m parcels a day during the period, nearly double last year.

‘As a result, it is important that we have the right infrastructure and people in place to support this,’ said de Lange. ‘We are pleased to be able to support the UK economy with so many jobs at this time.’