Co-op has taken the “difficult decision” to cut 400 jobs amid rising cost pressures.
The Grocer understands the majority of the roles impacted will be from its company support centre in Manchester on Angel Square, where 4,000 colleagues are based.
It said there will be “no changes” to customer-facing roles in its food stores and funeral homes.
The Co-op will also be closing open vacancies, redeploying colleagues within the business, and creating new roles as part of the restructure.
Dedicated welfare support will be provided for all impacted colleagues.
“At our last set of annual results, we shared that as part of our strategy, making our Co-op more efficient and cost-effective was a priority,” said a Co-op spokesman.
“The tough trading environment, including rising inflation, means we have taken the difficult decision to bring forward some of the changes we had planned for 2023.
“These changes, designed to simplify our approach to business, will sadly mean a number of colleagues in central functions will leave the business.
“There are no changes to customer-facing roles in our food stores and funeral homes and, where possible, we will reduce roles by not filling vacancies and through preferences to exit. We make these changes with a heavy heart, but it is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our Co-op and for all of our members.”
The move comes as Nisa, which is owned by The Co-op, announced last week that it was consulting on redundancies in a review that is intended to lower costs in the business.
The Grocer understands that approximately 50 jobs could be at risk across Nisa’s head office.
A Nisa spokeswoman said: “We are carrying out a review to lower our costs, in order to offer greater support to our partners and their customers during the current cost of living crisis.
“Unfortunately, the review will include a consultation on potential redundancy for some employees.
“We recognise this is a difficult time for so many and we are seeking to approach the review accordingly, while recognising the realities of the current economic climate.”
No comments yet