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A power station with two large cooling towers and a tall chimney emitting thick white smoke. In the foreground, a grassy hillside overlooks a residential area of houses and autumn trees.

Ben Roberts takes us inside Amazon's insanely humungous warehouse

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Date
18 April 2013

Ever wondered where Amazon keep their huge inventory? Well thanks to Ben Roberts and journalist Sarah O’Connor, you can indulge your curiosity in their project Amazon Unpacked. In 2011, Amazon occupied a warehouse the size of nine football pitches in the dilapidated town of Rugeley, Staffordshire.

There’s more to this story than just marvelling at the size of Amazon’s warehouse. Rugeley is a former coal mining town, and devastated by it’s closure in 1990, the residents were hopeful of Amazon moving in and revitalising the economy. Not only does Ben photograph the warehouse itself but also the community, he questions “the arrival of Amazon to occupy a huge warehouse in the town was originally seen as being a boost to the local economy, but has it turned out that way?” 

A vast warehouse filled with endless rows of white shelving units packed with colourful books. In the foreground, several metal trolleys sit on a polished concrete floor under a high, industrial ceiling.
Above

Ben Roberts: Amazon Unpacked

Three people work at individual packing stations in a bright, high-ceilinged warehouse. They wear orange high-visibility vests and stand behind metal trolleys loaded with parcels.
Above

Ben Roberts: Amazon Unpacked

A wide, bright aisle in a vast warehouse library. Rows of tall bookshelves line the right, while a yellow railing runs along the left under a high, industrial ceiling.
Above

Ben Roberts: Amazon Unpacked

Three people sit around a table covered in a green and white gingham cloth. They all wear white T-shirts and look towards the camera in a sparsely furnished room.
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Ben Roberts: Amazon Unpacked, Volunteers at the Rugeley food bank

A person wearing glasses and a light-coloured jacket sits at a wooden table. They look off to the side in a room with patterned wallpaper and a sliver of sunlight hitting the wall.
Above

Ben Roberts: Amazon Unpacked, Former Coal Miner

A vast warehouse filled with endless rows of white shelving units. Several people in orange high-visibility vests move through the aisles, pushing metal trolleys loaded with goods.
Above

Ben Roberts: Amazon Unpacked

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About the Author

Holly Wilkins

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