SUFFOLK, Va. - It doesn't take much to buy stuff online these days. A quick swipe on your phone or computer and then a few days later, a box shows up at your door.
While it may seem like magic, there's a lot going on behind-the-scenes to make it all happen.
Problem Solver Erin Miller took a trip to Amazon's new Robotic Fulfillment Center in Suffolk to see how orders stay on track during the busy season and the deals people can take advantage of starting today.
Gregory Lum, the General Manager of ORF3, explained the facility's "inbound process."
"When a customer places an order and they click 'buy,' that order is immediately routed to a facility just like this one," he said.
Products are transported from the Port of Virginia, brought into the building, and stored in yellow robotic pods.
The machines do the "heavy lifting" for employees so they are not physically strained. Employees, instead, use their time and energy to sort smaller items from the pods into bins before they are boxed.
"'The robots' allow our employees to focus on working safely and really focus on the customer experience without overexerting themselves lifting. We have machines to do that so we can employ even more people to deliver even more smiles," said Lum.
The large inventory is part of the reason items get to your home so quickly.
"We're expecting a huge increase in customer orders this year," Lum said. "This is kind of the busiest time of the year in retail and we're really planning to make sure we can deliver to customers all over the Hampton Roads are safely and with really good quality and efficiency."
Lum said the facility ships about 200,000 packages every day and that's predicted to be closer to one million by peak holiday season.
As the conveyer belts move inside ORF3, so do the online deals.
"Cyber Monday is expected to be a really big one this year," said Emily Hawkins.
Emily Hawkins is with Amazon and shared some of the holiday deals.
"I'm particularly excited about this Oral B electronic toothbrush and it's about time I upgrade my Mom. So for Cyber Monday this Oral B toothbruth is up to 30% off," Hawkins said.
She said Ray-Ban and Ring security are just a few more brands up to 30% and 40% off.
"Another little known fact is that more than 50% of the items that are purchased during the holiday season are from small and medium-owned businesses," said Hawkins.
Amazon shared these deals with News 3:
Save All Season Long, Preview Cyber Monday’s Hottest Deals
Create merry moments for everyone on your gift list with some of the seasons best deals on the most popular brands of the year during Amazon’s Cyber Monday weekend event. Customers can check back often for surprise deals dropping every 30 minutes during select periods of the three-day event.
- Save up to 70% on select Alexa-enabled devices including Echo and Fire TV
- Save up to 60% on select Ring and Blink home security devices and accessory bundles
- Save up to 55% on vVardis and up to 50% on select products from other premium beauty brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Murad, and U Beauty
- Save up to 50% on select Gap apparel and accessories
- Save up to 50% on select DASH air fryers and meat thermometers
- Save up to 45% on select BLACK+DECKER tools
- Save up to 45% on select apparel from Amazon Essentials and Simple Joys by Carter’s
- Save up to 40% on select Mr. Coffee coffeemakers
- Save up to 40% on select eero mesh Wi-Fi systems
- Save up to 40% on select headphones, earbuds, and speakers from Bose, Sony, and JBL
- Save up to 40% on select headphones from Skullcandy and Shokz
- Save up to 40% on select BALEAF athletic attire and up to 30% on select Peloton accessories and apparel
- Save up to 40% on select tween and teen apparel from HappyNation
- Save up to 40% on select apparel and accessories from Tommy Hilfiger
- Save up to 30% on select accessories from Anker
- Save up to 30% on select American Girl dolls and accessories, select LEGO sets, and select Bluey toys
- Save up to 30% on select Marvel toys and apparel
- Save up to 30% on select premium haircare products from T3
- Save up to 30% on select e-bikes and e-scooters from brands like Segway, Jetson, and Hurley
- Save up to 30% on select Solo Stove fire pits
- Save up to 25% on select Lemme vitamins by Kourtney Kardashian
- Save up to 25% on select products from Snoop Doggie Doggs
ORF3 also has seasonal positions open if people are looking for some extra work this year. The company recruits on site in Suffolk.
