Amazon to open first-ever robotics fulfillment centre in Calgary

Online retail giant Amazon is set to open another fulfillment centre in Calgary Friday, but this one will be the first-ever robotics-focused one.

The 2.8 million square foot facility will open May 24; it will be Amazon’s largest facility in Canada.

A robotics facility means the storage and retrieval of customers’ orders are done automatically with the use of robots.

Amazon’s 11th operation site in Alberta will feature “innovative new logistics technology” and is anticipated to have around 1,500 employees.

This is one of five fulfillment centres in Alberta, and the expected employees will add to an already existing 6,000-person workforce.

The grand opening will see Mayor Jyoti Gondek and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in attendance.

This comes as Amazon said it would hire 6,000 Canadians in September 2023. It also announced it would invest more than $70 million in pay increases for fulfillment and transportation to employees, who would see their average hourly wage rise to $21 compared to $17 in 2018.

Under the new compensation plan, hourly full and part-time employees will receive pay increases every six months until their 24-month anniversary and another increase at their 36th month.

Amazon runs more than 60 operations sites in Canada, which includes 21 fulfillment centres, over 30 delivery stations, and six sorting centres.