Redundancy
This coverage examines redundancy trends and announcements within the UK retail sector, focusing on their impact on business operations, workforce planning, and organisational strategy. Reports include company-specific redundancy decisions, sector-wide employment trends, executive statements, and strategic responses — providing retail professionals with context to navigate workforce challenges and make informed operational decisions.
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Jan- 2021 -13 JanuaryClothing & Shoes
2,000 Edinburgh Woollen Mill jobs saved in rescue deal
Around 2,000 jobs are to be saved at Philip Day’s Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group after international investors agreed a deal to acquire Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Ponden Homes and Bonmarche. FRP advisory confirmed that the joint administrators to The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Limited (t/a The Edinburgh Woollen Mill) and Duvetco Limited…
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Dec- 2020 -14 DecemberAdvice
Forecasting future staffing needs
While many retail businesses use cash-flow forecasting to optimise their trading performance, could they be doing more to predict their staffing needs, both during and after the pandemic? Could this be key to their survival in the difficult months of winter trading ahead? In the retail sector particularly, both recruitment…
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Sep- 2020 -14 SeptemberEconomy
700,000 jobs at risk as end of furlough scheme draws near
Over 700,000 employees are at risk of being made redundant in the second half of 2020, research from Institute for Employment Studies (IES) has revealed. IES estimates that some 650 thousand redundancies are expected in the second half of 2020, with 445 thousand redundancies in the three months between July…
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14 SeptemberCoronavirus
Insolvent companies cost taxpayers £250m
Insolvent companies that were unable to pay their debts in the first six months of 2020 have cost British taxpayers almost £250m, according to Altus Group. The software group found that the amount paid to former members of staff was up by £133.79m in the period against the prior year,…
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14 SeptemberHigh Street
Arcadia Group ‘extremely sorry’ amid notice pay U-turn
Arcadia Group has agreed to pay the full salaries of head office staff facing redundancy, after backtracking on its initial plan to pay staff their furloughed salaries. Arcadia, whose high street brands include Topman, Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, initially planned to pay head office staff 50% of their notice pay,…
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7 SeptemberComment
Rethinking your staffing requirements to survive the recession
With a new CBI survey revealing the highest level of retail job cuts since the 2009 crisis, lockdown restrictions, a lack of consumer confidence and less spending power continues to hit Britain’s high streets hard. While some businesses have remained resilient and are now back trading under revised conditions, a…
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Aug- 2020 -24 AugustSport & Leisure
Frasers Group buys DW Sports out of administration
Frasers Group has snapped up the assets of Dave Whelan Sports (DW Sports) from its administrators for a sum of £37m. According to the group, it has acquired certain assets relating to DW’s gym and fitness business, including certain stock but excluding the DW business names and IP. An additional…
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17 AugustHigh Street
Debenhams draws up contingency plans for potential liquidation
Debenhams has reportedly drawn up contingency plans in the event of a potential liquidation, as it continues to weather the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a report by Sky News, it is understood that Debenahmans has drafted in Hilco Capital to support the retailer if the sales process for the 242-year-old…
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11 AugustDepartment Stores
Debenhams cuts 2,500 jobs
Embattled department store chain Debenhams has cut 2,500 staff roles. The retailer said that the job cuts, believed to be across both its retail and warehouse staff, have been made in order to give the company “every chance of a viable future”. A spokesperson said staff affected by redundancy have…
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4 AugustHealth & Beauty
DW Sports falls into administration, 1,700 jobs at risk
DW Sports has collapsed into administration, placing around 1,700 jobs at risk. BDO announced that its restructuring partners, Graham Newton and Ryan Grant, were appointed joint administrators of the sportswear and fitness company on 3 August 2020. The group currently operates 50 retail sites and 73 gyms across the UK,…
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