Waitrose plans 678 job cuts as five stores face closure
Waitrose planned to cut almost 700 jobs, after revealing plans to close five of its stores and restructure its management last week (February 13).
Stores in Hertford, Staines, Leek, Huntingdon and Cardiff were all underperforming, Waitrose said. The supermarket’s planned store closures meant 498 staff face job cuts, while 180 department managers will be cut by 2020, it added.
Waitrose retail director Ben Stimson said: “Whilst closing branches is always something we’d want to avoid, like any retail business we review our shops’ performance regularly and take action where needed.
“We will be consulting with our branch partners over the coming weeks on these proposed closures, and will make sure they have all the support they need.”
Waitrose hoped to counter the job losses by opening eight new stores this year and creating up to 600 jobs.