Retail giant Tesco has created 200 new jobs after completing a multi-million pound overhaul of its UK customer service hub in Dundee.
A further 200 temporary staff at the Baird Avenue customer engagement centre (CEC) have also been moved to permanent contracts in a second boost.
The changes were revealed during a visit to the centre by Tesco UK and Ireland chief executive Jason Tarry for its official reopening today.
Public Finance minister Kate Forbes and Dundee City Council leader, Councillor John Alexander, also joined in the celebrations with the site’s now 1,500 strong workforce.
“Our Dundee Customer Engagement Centre colleagues do a fantastic job helping customers right across the UK,” Mr Tarry said.
“As we prepare for Christmas, we are committed to serving shoppers a little better every day and Dundee is right at the heart of this.
“From our stores to our local food and drink suppliers, Tesco is already a major player in Tayside.
“I am really pleased to be able to continue that investment today, building on our commitment to offering colleagues a career, a great place to work and an opportunity to get on at Tesco.”
The Dundee CEC is expected to handle nine million customer contacts this year through a variety of channels from phone calls to email inquiries and social media engagements.
Clubcard inquiries, home shopping and questions about stores and products are among the most regular customer engagements, but the Dundee centre also handles all contacts on behalf of Tesco’s executive board.
Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes did the honours of cutting the ribbon on the revamped centre, which boasts improved working environments for staff and enhanced catering facilities. A staff gym will be added in the new year.
“Scotland’s economy needs a vibrant and successful retail sector and this investment in Dundee is very welcome news,” Ms Forbes said.
“Tesco is a significant employer in Scotland and I am delighted they have chosen Dundee for their UK Customer Engagement Centre.”
In addition to the CEC, Tesco employs a further 1,300 staff across its Tayside stores.
KPMG analysis has put the store network contribution to the local economy at £55.17 million on an annual basis.
