10,000 retail jobs lost in 2020

Almost 10,000 retail jobs have been lost in 2020 amid a “torrid” start to the new year, according to the Centre for Retail Research.  

The research group revealed that 9,949 jobs have been lost in the first three weeks of 2020, amid store closures at Debenhams, GAME, HMV, Arcadia and Mothercare.

It also follows news that Asda and Morrisons have announced plans to cut costs in back office and management roles. Some 2,832 back-office jobs are at risk at Asda amid its latest cost-cutting moves, while Morrisons axed 3,000 manager jobs in a restructuring move. 

A further 1,200 further jobs were “left hanging in the balance” with both department store chain Beales and toy retailer Hawkin’s Bazaar entering administration last week.

The Centre for Retail Research said that large scale store closures were “widely attributed to the huge shift in shopping online”. 

The findings follow news that 57,000 retail jobs were lost in 2019. According to the British Retail Consortium, there was a 1.8% year-on-year decline in full-time retail employees in the last quarter of 2019. 

This figure marked the 16th consecutive quarter of year-on-year decline, with full-time employment decreasing 3% and part-time employment decreasing 1.2% in the quarter.

Julie Palmer, a partner at insolvency specialists Begbies Traynor, said: “We’re going to see more retail failures this year.

“January is traditionally a really bad month for retailers and if retailers have not had a good Christmas, they will really struggle, particularly at the end of January when the quarterly rent bill is due.”