Hundreds of jobs to be created as fashion and homewares retailer moves into Peterborough

International lifestyle products and services company URBN has agreed a lease on a huge distribution warehouse at Peterborough Gateway, at Alwalton Hill.

The America-based lifestyle giant, which is behind brands such as Urban Outfitter, Anthropologie and Free People, says it expects to create between 200 and 400 jobs at the Peterborough site.

The warehouse will go into operation from the beginning of August.

Construction of the new distribution centre has been underway for some months.

The new jobs will be among some 700 that have been announced over the last few months.

They include 180 jobs at the new AM Fresh depot at Peterborough Gateway plus 300 at spice maker McCormick and 24 at Insite Energy at Stuart House, in Peterborough

It is welcome news for the city’s employment prospects as concern grows that the coronavirus pandemic could unleash a wave of redundancies.

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions show the number of people claiming Universal Credit had risen by 30.5 per cent to 22,146 people over five weeks to May 14 as the coronavirus lockdown forced many businesses to shut down.

In addition 28,600 jobs in Peterborough have been supported under the Government’s furlough scheme through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)

There is a worry that as the furlough scheme winds down, employers may no longer be able to afford to keep those jobs if the economy does not make a quick recovery.