Shop Direct consulting with 225 members of staff over job cuts

Shop Direct, the group which owns online retailers Very and Littlewoods, is in consultation with 225 members of staff over job cuts.

The group plans to merge its businesses as part of a transformation strategy which will see teams for men’s and women’s fashion consolidated and its design team moved from Liverpool to London. Shop Direct said it expects to make fewer than 100 redundancies, with all job cuts expected to happen at its Liverpool head office.

Consultations are expected to continue for at least another 45 days, with teams to be divided into “developing categories” including fashional, seasonal and sports, home, electrical and global sourcing.

Sam Perkins, group retail director at Shop Direct, said: “We are performing strongly in a hugely competitive and challenging retail market, as evidenced over Christmas when we increased group revenue by 3.7%.

“But, as is true of all businesses, we must constantly improve the experience we offer customers to remain competitive. Continuing to innovate, realigning the way we work, enhancing our capability and simplifying our business will remain key to achieving that.

“This type of change is never easy, but is a reality of doing business in today’s dynamic retail world. For our impacted colleagues, our commitment is that we’ll work through this process openly and transparently and with empathy and respect.”