Amazon says new distribution center in Woodland Park makes local same-day delivery easier

Matt Fagan, NorthJersey.com
·3 min read

WOODLAND PARK — North Jersey residents may get their Amazon deliveries even faster now that the giant e-commerce company has opened a distribution center with a pickup and returns center on McBride Avenue.

The same-day delivery warehouse opened late last year, but it held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday morning.

The Amazon distribution center works well because the company understands what customers want and how fast they want it, its officials said Friday. Those goods are stocked in the new 205,000-square-foot facility, making same-day deliveries to North Jersey customers much easier for the company. Its second similar New Jersey facility is in Burlington.

Items that have been packed are sent out for distribution at the new Amazon center in Woodland Park. Representatives from Amazon, local politicians and partners that were involved in the planning and building of the new Amazon distribution center were given a tour of the facility as they celebrated it’s ceremonial opening on February 10, 2023 in Woodland Park, NJ.

Among the many stocked items popular with local customers are Nespresso coffee capsules, Amazon Basics batteries, iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Tests and the Fire TV Stick with Alexa voice remote, Amazon officials said.

How is Amazon able to fulfill same-day deliveries?

Once customers place their orders, they are processed and shipped within five to seven hours, said Woodland Park Site Lead Drew McCrossan.

On Friday, Amazon allowed local officials to peek behind the scenes as products arrived, were scanned by employees and were stowed in one of 700 robotic carts to await orders.

Items are sorted before they are packed and sent out for distribution at the new Amazon center in Woodland Park. Representatives from Amazon, local politicians and partners that were involved in the planning and building of the new Amazon distribution center were given a tour of the facility as they celebrated it’s ceremonial opening on February 10, 2023 in Woodland Park, NJ.

After the items are scanned, they are available for purchase, and the process is reversed as the robotic carts hand the items back to the human employees on the shipping side of the operation. The employees then package and address the items, which are sent off on a conveyor belt to the shippers, who take them to the Flex drivers.

More:Opening of Amazon Fresh in Woodland Park postponed. Here are the details

Flex drivers are all private contractors who load as many as 40 packages in their personal vehicles and deliver them. They are the backbone of the operation, officials said, explaining that the 120 Flex drivers are the reason goods get to the customers within the same day.

"We started out delivering to about 2 or 3 miles from here," McCrossan said. "We've expanded to about a 32-mile radius."

Drivers load items into their vehicles to be delivered from the new Amazon center in Woodland Park. Representatives from Amazon, local politicians and partners that were involved in the planning and building of the new Amazon distribution center were given a tour of the facility as they celebrated it’s ceremonial opening on February 10, 2023 in Woodland Park, NJ.

Customers may also ask for their package to be stored in one of the dozens of lockers on the premises for pickup.

Located in the small retail-like section of the operation, the lockers are accessed by customers with a scan code.

More:Woodland Park confirms Amazon will occupy new warehouse on former Kearfott site

The area also serves as a return area for Amazon customers, who can drop off their packages between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Employees assist with the return process.

The location has 400 workers, officials said, adding that the number may increase.

For Woodland Park taxpayers, the distribution center boosts ratables, a welcome change after the exit of Kearfott Guidance & Navigation in February 2021, said Mayor Keith Kazmark.

"This is great news for the local economy and for Woodland Park taxpayers," he said. "We estimate that the property will jump from a $10 million ratable to a $25 million ratable."

Representatives from Amazon, local politicians and partners that were involved in the planning and building of the new Amazon distribution center were given a tour of the facility as they celebrated it’s ceremonial opening on February 10, 2023 in Woodland Park, NJ.
Representatives from Amazon, local politicians and partners that were involved in the planning and building of the new Amazon distribution center were given a tour of the facility as they celebrated it’s ceremonial opening on February 10, 2023 in Woodland Park, NJ.

The borough is waiting to hear from the company about its plan to open an Amazon Fresh store in the vacant building that housed the former Fairway supermarket on Route 46.

Amazon officials said they still expect the store to open but could not provide a date.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Amazon center in Woodland Park NJ making shipping easier for company