Contact/Support Centre Requirement

The Challenge

Cushman & Wakefield were instructed by Amazon to initiate a UK wide search for suitable premises to accommodate a new 500 seat contact/support centre for the World’s best selling ‘Kindle’ E-reader. Amazon needed to be fully operational from a new site within 9 months in a location offering a good labour pool without having to compete for staff with other call centre operators. The personal security of staff due to the 24 hour operation and accessibility to amenities were also important considerations.

The Solution

Following a coordinated analysis of the UK call centre market including a review of demographics, existing operators and the availability of inward investment grants, Cushman & Wakefield identified a number of target locations meriting a further detailed search for premises that could offer a cost effective solution meeting the set parameters. A shortlist was identified following a comparison of the opportunities in South Wales, the Midlands, the North East of England and Scotland on both a quantitative and qualitative basis. The Cushman & Wakefield Project Management Team were also appointed to advise on possible fit-out options and specific building and M&E issues that might possibly adversely affect Amazon’s future occupation.

The Results

Following further detailed analysis, and discussions with the local inward investment agencies, RFPs were submitted on four premises. Lease terms were subsequently agreed on approx. 57,500 sq.ft. of offices over two floors in Waverleygate, Edinburgh with legal formalities completed within 2 weeks. Cushman & Wakefield proceeded to project manage the fit out of the entire premises within a very strict budget and timeframe.