US tech firm Zazzle to expand its Cork operation with new roles

Headcount at the custom design and sales firm is set to increase to almost 300 over the next three years

Staff at Zazzle Ireland's European Headquarters at Union Quay, Cork. Picture: Daragh McSweeney/Provision

US custom design and sales firm Zazzle is to significantly expand operations at its European headquarters in Cork, creating 50 new jobs over the next three years.

Headquartered in California, the firm first began operations in Cork in 2013 and has grown from 100 employees to 225. This will increase to 275 with plans to hire a further 115 to 130 seasonal positions to cover the Christmas period.

Zazzle has created a marketplace platform that connects consumers with independent designers, manufacturers, and major brands — such as Disney and Marvel — who can create a range of products from invitations to fashion items.

Significant expansion since starting in Cork

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Zazzle's chief revenue officer Jason Kang said the company has already significantly expanded since operations first began in Cork. 

"We now have 16 international web domains which are managed from Cork. When we first started here we were focused on customer care, then marketing and data science. We have now hired our first two engineers to do the core coding and development work," he said.

Mr Kang said the impact of the Covid pandemic was a 'tale of two cities' for Zazzle as they have benefitted from the global surge in e-commerce: 

However, we were somewhat unique in that some of our largest product lines such as occasion-based products such as weddings and birthdays, a large section of that business dried up overnight.

The company is now preparing for a busy Christmas period, expecting a significant recovery in business.

Tánaiste welcomes new of expansion

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the new roles offer good opportunities for those working in and around Cork: 

Ireland offers the right conditions for tech firms seeking to grow in the European market and this announcement is yet another example of our success in attracting high=quality investment and jobs. I wish the team every success with this expansion.

Zazzle is currently based in the former Guinness building on Union Quay in the city. The company's CEO Robert Beaver said they have benefitted from their presence in Ireland. "We value our relationships with the Cork community and are eager to bring on more Ireland-based talent."