Amazon coming to Queensland amid spike in e-commerce

As digital retail figures in Australia soar to unprecedented levels, e-commerce giant Amazon is to build a multimillion-dollar hub in Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced.

Construction will commence immediately, with the facility expected to be up and running by Christmas this year.

Creating much-needed jobs for the state in the aftermath of COVID-19, the project will also cater for heightened demand for online retail platforms. This is likely to be a lasting legacy of the pandemic, according to some predictions.

Palaszczuk agreed that lifestyle and purchasing behaviours have changed significantly throughout the pandemic, prompting many businesses to up their online presence.

“There is no doubt the ‘stay-at-home economy’ has grown significantly in the past few months,” she said.

“E-commerce companies like Amazon have a key role to play in supporting that growing economy and helping facilitate Queensland businesses deliver their products to the door.”

Palaszczuk also said the hub was an encouraging sign of things to come, in terms of the state’s digital and wider economy.

“As the state recovers from the impacts of COVID-19, Amazon’s commitment is a clear indicator of its confidence in our economic recovery and I’m proud that my government is playing a key role in facilitating their investment in Queensland,” she said.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Mike Mareen