Selfridges to cut 450 jobs
The Selfridges department store chain is to cut 450 jobs as it faces what it describes as the toughest year in its recent history.
Operating two stores in Manchester, one in Birmingham and one in London’s Oxford Street, the retailer is expecting a significant fall in annual sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Writing to staff, Selfridges managing director Anne Pitcher said the decision to make redundancies was the toughest the business had ever had to take and warned that it needs to make fundamental changes to ensure it is “fit for purpose and the future”.
Pitcher added: “The Covid-19 pandemic has forced change and caused us to rethink so many aspects of our lives, and will continue to do so as we adapt and respond to a new and evolving reality.
She added: “Nobody imagined that when we started the year that things would unfold like this and lead us to having to make such momentous decisions. It is a huge responsibility and I appreciate how incredibly unsettling receiving this news today must feel, prompting all sorts of thoughts and emotions.”
Selfridges has now begun a consultation process on the cuts which will result in its workforce being reduced by around 14%.
