Supermarket giant Waitrose has cut almost 100 jobs in a shakeup of its retail division designed to place significant importance on customer service and adapt to multichannel retailing.
The restructure will see 13 job cuts, with 75 employees redistributed to other parts of the company, and another nine moving to the John Lewis Partnership services. Now, the slimmed-down 263-strong division will cover customer service, retail coordination and retail change.
Waitrose MD Mark Price said: “We’ve been restructuring the business quietly in recent years. Overall, we have increased numbers at Bracknell by 400 in the last three years to support our growth.”
Waitrose spokeswomen added: “As well as providing specialist teams supporting operation branches, the new retail services structure includes a dedicated team devoted to innovating and developing customer service within our shops.”
Meanwhile the John Lewis Partnership has confirmed its position as one of the winners on Britain’s changing high streets with a sharp increase in sales.
The group, which runs John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, said sales grew 7 per cent to £4.7 billion in the half-year to July 27. The sales rise included a 6.9 per cent increase in like-for-like sales for Waitrose and a 5.1 per cent increase for John Lewis, whose rivals include Debenhams and Marks & Spencer.
Waitrose supermarket is the dominant business in the partnership, accounting for £3 billion of its £4.7bn sales and producing operating profits of £160 million, compared to £50 million for John Lewis.
Chairman of JLP, Sir Charlie Mayfield, said the results were “strong”.
He added: “I am particularly pleased that both Waitrose and John Lewis again increased their market shares significantly during the first half.”
