Wilko to axe over 400 jobs as sales fall

Wilko is reportedly set to axe over 400 jobs across the company as part of plans to cut costs amid struggling sales. 

According to The Guardian, those affected by the cuts may include assistant store managers, retail supervisors, head office managers and call centre workers.

The group reportedly told staff it plans to reduce hours for team supervisors in 150 of its 401 stores, equating to around 150 full-time equivalent job losses, after a fall in sales.

The cuts are also said to include around 150 assistant store managers, 95 workers from its contact centre in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, and dozens of head office management roles across commercial, retail operations, merchandising, marketing and finance.

In a statement seen by Retail Sector, CEO Mark Jackson said: “We’ve already begun our turnaround programme to drive wilko forward.  As part of this we quickly identified significant changes to the wilko operating model to enable us to stabilise the business, and then thrive again.  This includes some planned and considered changes to our management structure at both our stores and head office.

“We can’t comment on the numbers of team members affected as conversations are still ongoing, but it goes without saying, we’re fully supporting any affected individuals. We know change will be unsettling to our team members and the wider business, and we’re acting swiftly to put in place the new organisational structure.”

The GMB union said it was consulting with the group in a bid to reduce job losses.

Nadine Houghton, GMB national officer, said: “GMB is consulting with Wilko currently in a bid to reduce job losses – we are doing all we can to protect our members’ jobs.

“Wilko is going through significant changes at the moment and ultimately, the business is in a fight for survival. We are seeing continued and increasing job losses throughout the retail sector and this is something that warrants an urgent, strategic response from the Government.”