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| The view from inside and outside Amazon on Black Friday | |
| (2 months later) | |
| About 8,000 people work at Amazon sites in the north west of England. | About 8,000 people work at Amazon sites in the north west of England. |
| At Amazon's giant warehouse on the outskirts of Manchester, men, women and robots work together to deal with the massive surge in orders that Black Friday inevitably brings. | At Amazon's giant warehouse on the outskirts of Manchester, men, women and robots work together to deal with the massive surge in orders that Black Friday inevitably brings. |
| A few miles away in the city centre, staff at independent emporium Afflecks brace themselves for a dip in trade. | A few miles away in the city centre, staff at independent emporium Afflecks brace themselves for a dip in trade. |
| The two buildings are both part of the same retail ecosystem, but one that some fear has become heavily imbalanced. | The two buildings are both part of the same retail ecosystem, but one that some fear has become heavily imbalanced. |
| So how do small retailers fare in a market where one company alone - Amazon - must take on an extra 2,000 staff across the north-west of England just to deal with demand? | So how do small retailers fare in a market where one company alone - Amazon - must take on an extra 2,000 staff across the north-west of England just to deal with demand? |
| Second-hand clothes seller Erin Taylor-Thomas said shoppers are losing personal connections | Second-hand clothes seller Erin Taylor-Thomas said shoppers are losing personal connections |
| Afflecks retailer Megan Price says small independent sellers see a dip in trade as they "just cannot compete". | Afflecks retailer Megan Price says small independent sellers see a dip in trade as they "just cannot compete". |
| Ms Price is part of a collective of Manchester-based artists known as Swalk Creative who sell their artwork at affordable prices at the market. | Ms Price is part of a collective of Manchester-based artists known as Swalk Creative who sell their artwork at affordable prices at the market. |
| "We're trying to offer value and affordability year round," she says, but adds it is a struggle to compete "when these massive companies are able to offer such enormous discounts". | "We're trying to offer value and affordability year round," she says, but adds it is a struggle to compete "when these massive companies are able to offer such enormous discounts". |
| Black Friday is also a worry for Erin Taylor-Thomas, owner of second-hand clothes store Beg Steal and Borrow. | Black Friday is also a worry for Erin Taylor-Thomas, owner of second-hand clothes store Beg Steal and Borrow. |
| "We already have low prices, so dropping it any lowers would just mean that we wouldn't make enough money to sustain what we've created here," she said. | "We already have low prices, so dropping it any lowers would just mean that we wouldn't make enough money to sustain what we've created here," she said. |
| And for Ms Taylor-Thomas, something else that is lost as shoppers are drawn to sales online is the "connection of gift-giving, being connected to people, and that experience". | And for Ms Taylor-Thomas, something else that is lost as shoppers are drawn to sales online is the "connection of gift-giving, being connected to people, and that experience". |
| Amazon warehouse worker Cole McGrath said he was expecting a busy time | Amazon warehouse worker Cole McGrath said he was expecting a busy time |
| Over in Altrincham at the Amazon warehouse, there is a thrum of activity. | Over in Altrincham at the Amazon warehouse, there is a thrum of activity. |
| Cole McGrath, who maintains the robots - known as drives - says he is expecting things to be "much busier" as the shopping frenzy peaks. | Cole McGrath, who maintains the robots - known as drives - says he is expecting things to be "much busier" as the shopping frenzy peaks. |
| "It's definitely much busier on Black Friday, but there are no more or less issues; you can see a lot more movements in the warehouse, but the robots are doing their job." | "It's definitely much busier on Black Friday, but there are no more or less issues; you can see a lot more movements in the warehouse, but the robots are doing their job." |
| But whose products are those drives moving around the warehouse floor, and in whose pocket is the money consumers spend on them ending up in? | But whose products are those drives moving around the warehouse floor, and in whose pocket is the money consumers spend on them ending up in? |
| Amazon says more than half of its product sales in the UK are from what it calls "independent selling partners" - most of them small to medium-sized firms. | Amazon says more than half of its product sales in the UK are from what it calls "independent selling partners" - most of them small to medium-sized firms. |
| It estimates about 100,000 such firms now sell through the site. | It estimates about 100,000 such firms now sell through the site. |
| Neil Travis, the north west regional director for Amazon, says there is definitely a place for both the online retail behemoth and independent sellers. | Neil Travis, the north west regional director for Amazon, says there is definitely a place for both the online retail behemoth and independent sellers. |
| He said 65% of the items at the Altrincham warehouse come from small to medium businesses in the UK, with more than 11,5000 sellers from the north west of England. | He said 65% of the items at the Altrincham warehouse come from small to medium businesses in the UK, with more than 11,5000 sellers from the north west of England. |
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