iForce
is expanding its workforce from its permanent number of 750 colleagues
to around 2600, taking on around 1,850 temporary warehouse colleagues
to reinforce operations ahead of increased activity during Black Friday
and in the lead up to Christmas itself.With
analysts predicting that Black Friday is set to become the UK’s first
ever £1bn online shopping day, iForce expects to despatch around 146,000
items on that one day alone, which represents a year-on-year rise of
23.5 per cent.
The
additional warehouse colleagues will be spread across iForce’s
operations with each one undergoing an initial two-day induction
programme delivered by iForce’s dedicated Training Academy. This will
include instruction on how to process the 450,000 item returns that
iForce estimates will flow from this year’s Black Friday sales alone.
Brian
Gaunt, CEO at iForce, said: “iForce has invested millions of pounds in
its proprietary software over the years, which allows the Company to
manage both multi-channel fulfilment and returns processing efficiently
and effectively, whilst also offering a tried and tested carrier
management solution.For
several months we have worked very closely with our clients to forecast
peak volumes and to develop specific plans to deal with both Black
Friday and Christmas in the most effective manner. We are confident that
this preparation together with the significant investment in our
workforce will help our clients to enjoy their most profitable and
successful peak season to date.”
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