New Look places 70 head office roles at risk

Around 70 jobs could be at risk across New Look’s London and Weymouth head offices following a restructure of the group.

According to the group, the move is part of a wider review of its operating model and structure, and could impact several departments across both offices.

New Look currently employs 1,200 people across the two locations. In a statement, the retailer said that those affected by the redundancies will enter a consultation period, and supporting affected staff will be a “priority”.

A spokesperson for New Look told Retail Sector: “New Look has changed significantly in recent years, having accelerated our ecommerce-business and reduced our store estate. As such, we have reviewed our operating model and structures, and we are making certain changes to our ways of working, to better reflect and support the growth of our omnichannel business.

“As part of this, we are proposing changes to our team structures, which regrettably, we expect to impact some roles at our Weymouth and London support centres. We will shortly be entering a consultation period with affected colleagues and our priority is to support them during this time.”

Last month, reports emerged that New Look was planning to axe up to 500 roles at its distribution centre in Lymedale, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

It comes as the brand was forced to shut down night shifts due to a reduction in its store portfolio over the last several years.

According to Drapers, workers impacted at this site will also enter a consultation period, with potential redundancies to be announced around mid-May.

The retailer reportedly tried to save upwards of 300 positions by transferring employees to day shifts. However, redundancies are said to be inevitable across the workforce.