Amazon asks corporate workers to ‘volunteer' help with grocery deliveries as Prime Day frenzy approaches
In a Slack message reviewed by the Guardian that went to thousands of white-collar workers in the New York City area from engineers to marketers, an Amazon area manager called for corporate 'volunteers to help us out with Prime Day to deliver to customers on our biggest days yet'. It is not clear how many took up the offer.
The ask came the day before Prime Day kicks off. The manager said volunteers are 'needed' to work Tuesday through Friday this week, in two-hour shifts between 10am and 6pm in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, where the company operates a warehouse as part of its grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh. Corporate employees seconded to the warehouse would be tasked with picking items, preparing carts and bags of groceries for delivery, packing boxes on receiving carts, and working to 'boost morale with distribution of snacks', though they would be allowed to step into a conference room to take meetings and calls, according to the message. The manager noted such an effort would help 'connect' warehouse and corporate teams.
Amazon routinely hires thousands of extra warehouse workers in advance of its annual Prime Day sale, which sees the massive online retailer discount thousands of goods, creating a surge in orders and demand for delivery. Amazon Fresh, available to Prime subscribers but separate from Amazon subsidiary Whole Foods, is also offering discounts this week during Prime Day, such as a free 90-day trial of the delivery services and $30 off of deliveries for current members, while maintaining its same-day or next-day delivery service. New York is one of Amazon's busiest areas in the US.
An Amazon spokesperson, Griffin Buch, said this is not the first time 'grocery corporate' employees have been 'invited to volunteer' with fulfillment.
'This support is entirely optional, and it allows corporate employees to get closer to customers while enabling our store teams to focus on the work that's most impactful,' Buch said.
Amazon Fresh has faced turbulence in recent years. Amid cost-cutting efforts in 2023 and a struggle to turn a profit on grocery delivery, CEO Andy Jassy closed several physical Amazon Fresh locations and laid off hundreds of employees in the segment. Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 employees overall since cost-cutting efforts began in 2022.
A week ago, Jassy spoke on CNBC of a future at Amazon where drones and even robots were used to fulfill and deliver goods to people.
'Over time, as we expand the use of robotics in our fulfillment centers, we will have robots doing fulfillment and transportation for us,' he said.
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WIRED
11 minutes ago
- WIRED
Gear News of the Week: Amazon Buys Bee, VSCO Has a New App, and CMF Debuts a Smartwatch
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Yahoo
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The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Best Stock to Buy Right Now: Amazon vs. Opendoor Technologies was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
I left the US after being laid off from Amazon. Living in the Netherlands is more affordable, and my small business is thriving.
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It can be hard to make friends, but there are meetup groups and Tinder, if you want to date. I do miss my chosen friends and family, and I have standing phone calls with them every Sunday night. Moving to the Netherlands was the right decision for me My life is more relaxed in the Netherlands because, honestly, I feel safer here. There aren't nearly as many guns, and I'm living in a safer neighborhood than I was in the US. I'm also not worried that a medical emergency is going to bankrupt me. I'm paying significantly less in bills, and the money I am saving every month on health insurance is going toward my savings and my business. My business is also about ready to take off. I joined two networking organizations of business owners, one based in the Netherlands and one based in the UK. I am working with a business coach, and I will be hiring a branding expert next month. My visa expires in July next year. I can request an extension, which I believe would grant me an additional three years. At that point, I would have been here five years, and I can apply for permanent residency, or, after taking Dutch classes, citizenship. I don't know if I want to become a citizen of the Netherlands, but for now, I'm just happy to be here because I can support myself.
