PICTURED: Amazon sets elves to work as Christmas rush begins

By LEWIS BAZLEY

Piled high: The scale of the Amazon warehouse in south Wales is revealed as it gears up for the Christmas rush


After a difficult week for the company, it's a surprise that Amazon is happy to open its doors to the eyes of the world.

But having come in for heavy criticism for its 'lightning sale' promotion, the online retailer is bouncing back as it prepares for the Christmas rush.

The internet site - initially a bookseller but now a shopping portal for everything from kitchenware to children's toys - pulled open the back of its warehouse - or 'Fulfilment Centre' - in Swansea to reveal the heavy packing operation already under way.


Towers of boxes confirm that for millions of Britons, online shopping is the easiest way to buy Christmas presents without a mad rush to the high street on Christmas Eve.

While its product range has diversified repeatedly, Amazon dominates the UK market for music and video sales.

A 2009 survey for Verdict Research named the online giant as the UK's favourite music and video retailer and its third favourite retailer overall, behind John Lewis and Ikea.


'Amazon is the top placed internet player, mainly because it makes life easier for its customers – the site is simple to use, has a wide range to pick from and there's good service backup if things go wrong,' said Verdict consultant James Flower.

While the scale of the Swansea warehouse shows that Amazon is gearing up for another successful Christmas, its reputation took a beating this week after it launched a 'Black Friday' week of cut-price online sales.


The retailer slashed prices by up to 70 per cent on popular electronics goods while chart-topping albums by Take That and Susan Boyle were offered for just £1 each.

But thousands of customers were left furious after the bargain deals appeared to sell out in a matter of seconds earlier this week.

Users swamped the website’s online forums to complain the deals they were chasing had disappeared faster than the click of a mouse.


One said: ‘Unbelievable... I saw "sold out” within about two seconds of clicking.’
Another complained: ‘Total load of rubbish. Couldn’t have clicked on the CD any quicker at 9am and gone instantly, definitely less than ten of each, wouldn’t bother even trying!’

Amazon insisted it had warned customers that the deals would run for a limited time only.

It said: ‘Offers will take the form of “Lightning Deals” with a limited quantity of an item being offered at a discount for a short period of time.


It's a wrap: Staff at the Amazon 'fulfilment centre' in Swansea prepare packages in readiness for the Christmas rush

‘Once that quantity has been reached or the time limit elapses, the “Lightning Deal” will end.’

Founded in 1995, Amazon has versions of its websites for the U.S., Britain, Japan, China, Germany, France and Canada, among others, and has over a dozen 'Fulfilment Centres' in the British Isles alone.


source: dailymail