Work is progressing on the new Amazon site on the outskirts of Dunfermline with its target opening date of late 2011 still on course.
The online retail company will create 763 permanent jobs at the site at Calais Muir South, alongside the M90, near the junction with the A92.
It announced it would also create 500 permanent and 400 temporary jobs at a new customer service centre at Waverley Gate, Edinburgh.
A centre will handle both internet and phone customer queries for Amazon.co.uk including technical support for Amazon Kindle and MP3 services. This is in addition to the sprawling Dunfermline site, which is the size of 14 football pitches, and will be Amazon’s biggest centre in the UK.
The company announced this in January in a joint media operation with the Scottish Government.
Staff at the west Fife site will distribute a range of items throughout the world and provide extra capacity for a wide selection of products.
The company will transfer around 100 staff from their site in Glenrothes, which Amazon leases, to the Dunfermline site. It is believed the Dunfermline operation will cost around £60 million.
It already has a substantial presence in Scotland with operations in Gourock, Glenrothes and South Queensferry. The new customer service centre in Edinburgh will open in August, a few months before Amazon’s new one million square foot fulfilment centre in Dunfermline.
An Amazon spokesman said, “Work is progressing well on the Dunfermline site and it should be open towards the end of this year. We are creating more than 750 jobs there and it is on target.
“The two sites in Dunfermline and Edinburgh are separate.”
Of the Edinburgh announcement, First Minister Alex Salmond said, “Amazon is globally recognised as a leader in online retail and I am delighted the company is expanding its Scottish operations with the creation of a new customer services centre in Edinburgh.
“Amazon has a substantial presence in Scotland and this announcement is testament to the quality, strength and skills of its Scottish workforce. This news provides a significant boost to the local economy, creates 900 jobs in the heart of Edinburgh, and demonstrates the company’s commitment to working in Scotland.”
Allan Lyall, vice-president of Amazon’s European operations and customer service, said, “As our business continues to grow and we move into new areas like grocery, sports and clothing, our customer services support has to expand as well.
“Edinburgh is an outstanding location, providing a highly-skilled workforce to help us achieve the high standards of customer service shoppers at Amazon.co.uk expect.”