UK retailer Tesco has announced its plans to 'simplify its customer service operations' by consolidating its customer engagement centres into a single operation in Dundee.
As a result, Tesco will be closing its Cardiff call centre in February 2018, which could affect up to 1,100 employees.
The retailer says that these changes are 'part of a wider programme of transformation' to ensure that it runs its business in 'a sustainable and cost-effective way'.
Unprecedented Challenges
“The retail sector is facing unprecedented challenges and we must ensure we run our business in a sustainable and cost-effective way, while meeting the changing needs of our customers," said Matt Davies, UK CEO of Tesco.
The Financial Times reports that at least 3,700 jobs have been lost at Tesco and other major UK retailers in the first three months of this year as a result of the rapidly changing retail sector. Tesco says that around 250 jobs will be created at the expanded Dundee centre, however, over a thousand will be at risk in Wales.
“We’ve taken the difficult decision to close our customer service operations in Cardiff," added Davies. "We realise this will have a significant effect on colleagues in the Cardiff area, and our priority now is to continue to do all we can to support them at this time.”
© 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.
