Amazon’s first Belgian distribution centre is open

Amazon has opened its first distribution centre in Belgium, just in time for the launch of the Belgian version of its webshop later this autumn.

Own delivery service

Barely seven months after the announcement, the construction of Amazon’s first Belgian distribution centre is already completed. The delivery centre is located in the south of Antwerp, and features a 5,764 sqm warehouse, 2,000 sqm of office space and a 40,000 sqm car park, Amazon is preparing to launch its own Belgian online shop. The launch is planned for the next few months.

At the moment, 25 employees are already working in the distribution centre, but this number is expected to rise to fifty later on, HLN reports. These include both warehouse workers and managers, but not drivers: Amazon will instead work with some 200 drivers from independent contractors.

Last year, Amazon had already launched a call in Belgium to recruit independent transporters to form its own network of drivers. The e-commerce giant wants to eliminate national delivery companies such as bpost, causing a big loss for the Belgian postal company.