UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's is set to cut up to 2,000 jobs as part of the retailer's plans to save £500 million.
The retailer is said to be restructuring its HR department, getting rid of store-based clerks and back-office staff, according to The Guardian.
“The UK grocery market is changing at a rapid pace, and it’s crucial that we transform the way we operate to meet future challenges and continue to provide customers with best-in-class service,” a Sainsbury’s spokesperson said.
“Following a comprehensive review, we are proposing some updates to our HR structures and systems, as well as changes to a number of other support roles, subject to consultation.”
Market Pressure
Sainsbury's is not the first UK retailer to announce job cuts of late, amid increasing cost pressures and competition from the discounters.
In June, Tesco said that it was cutting around 1,200 head-office jobs and closing one of its call centres, in Wales, affecting another 1,100 employees.
Additionally, thousands of Asda employees are currently facing redundancy or a reduction in working hours.
The latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel, released yesterday, reveal that Sainsbury's is still the second-largest grocer in the UK, with 15.8% market share. In the most recent quarter, the retailer saw sales grow by 1.9%.
Lidl and Aldi remain Britain's fastest-growing supermarkets, with sales growth of 16% and 13.4%, respectively.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
