Amazon share joy of children amid Christmas season

Christmas has started early in the Northeast, and Amazon has teamed up with a team member from the legendary TV series The Secret Life of Four Year Olds to capture the pride and excitement children feel when their parents help Santa ahead of the holiday season .

Amazon employees in Darlington gave their children an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the magic happening at the fulfillment center ahead of Christmas.

Supported by the casting producer of the BAFTA-nominated TV series The secret life of four year oldsthe heartwarming video and experience captures the excitement and wonder of the children during their visit to the fulfillment center to see their parents “help” Santa during his busiest time of the year.

The eight children between the ages of five and ten described their visit to the site, which is equipped with the latest robotic technology, and their parents’ tasks.

Mallikarjun Erasu, General Manager of Amazon’s fulfillment center in Darlington, said: “We were delighted to be able to give the children a behind-the-scenes look at our fulfillment center at this very special time of year.

“I’m really proud of the whole team and how we can help all our customers, including Santa Claus of course.”

Nine-year-old Isabella, whose father James Waterfall-Brown is a shopper, said: “I’m really proud of my dad for helping Santa for Christmas.”

Lucia, 10, whose stepfather David Koroma is a picker, described how “the van can fly, but it also goes to the North Pole to drop off all the presents where Santa then wraps them”.

The children saw Amazon Robotics in action. The robots slide under a rack tower where products are stored, lifted and moved through the logistics center.

Connie’s father, Stuart Hanmer, is an amnesty worker whose job it is to ensure the safety and quality of the robotics hall. She said: “The coolest thing about my dad’s job is that he fixes robots: he’s a superhero!”

The Darlington site was the first fulfillment center to open in the north east of England in April 2020, followed by the opening of the Durham fulfillment center in September 2020 and Gateshead in September 2021. Amazon now employs more than 4,000 people in the north east of England.

Staff member James Waterfall-Brown said: “I was so happy to give my daughter the opportunity to come to Amazon and see what it’s like for myself.

“She was fascinated by the robots and the whole process of how everything works in the logistics center.”

Stuart Hanmer added: “I had a blast showing Connie where I work. She used to ask me what I do while she’s at school and now she can tell her friends all about it and how her dad works with robots.

“I will always remember the smile on her face when she saw the logistics center in action. I’m so proud of her and how well she’s done filming and touring.”

Learn more about Amazon’s influence in the UK.