The backdrop to depot hiring is a labour market that is cooling, not collapsing. Early estimates for May to July 2026 suggest a decrease of 6,000, or 0.8%, vacancies to 707,000 across the UK compared with February to April 2026 ONS vacancies data for August 2026. That continues a gentle quarterly slide: an earlier estimate put April to June 2026 down 7,000, or 0.9%, to 712,000, with total vacancies down 18,000, or 2.5%, on a year earlier the ONS vacancies bulletin.
Competition for roles is real but steady. There were 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in March to May 2026, a ratio that has held at 2.5 since July to September 2025 the ONS vacancies bulletin. For employers staffing a grocery depot, that means a reasonable pool of applicants, but also the need to move quickly and describe roles clearly so the right people apply.
Automation is already inside the sector. Retail and logistics were already actively integrating AI to improve customer insights and streamline functions such as inventory management and supply chains GOV.UK AI adoption research. In a grocery depot, that shows up as automated picking, routing and stock systems that change what a day's work looks like on the floor.
There is still plenty of headroom for more. The International Federation of Robotics reported that UK use of industrial robots substantially lags internationally, at only 101 robots per 10,000 workers in 2020 the Smart Machines Strategy 2035. As depots close that gap, demand shifts towards people who can run, monitor and maintain automated kit alongside traditional warehouse skills.
The wider jobs picture backs this up. For the total of AI-related occupations, the net change ranges from approximately 696,000 jobs in an automation scenario to 1,072,000 in a technological opportunities scenario, with replacement demand rising from 3,077,000 to 3,193,000 jobs GOV.UK labour market and skills projections. In depots, that points to new technical and supervisory roles sitting next to the hands-on jobs that keep stock moving.
Start with the work, not the job title. If a picking role now involves monitoring an automated line, say so, and list the systems involved. Clear, honest role descriptions help the right people self-select, which matters when applicants are weighing several options in a market with 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy the ONS vacancies bulletin.
Hire for adaptability as much as experience. With AI already streamlining inventory and supply chains across logistics GOV.UK AI adoption research, the people who thrive are those willing to learn new tools. Build short practical assessments, train in-house, and keep your process fast so good applicants do not drift to another depot while you deliberate.
Plan for the shift ahead. Replacement demand across AI-related occupations is projected to rise towards 3,193,000 jobs GOV.UK labour market and skills projections, so depots that build a pipeline now, rather than reacting to each gap, will be better placed as automation deepens.
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