// Waterstones making HQ job cuts

// Some stores have remained shut following lockdown

// The number of redundancies have remained undisclosed

Waterstones has reportedly warned that it is making a number of redundancies at its London Piccadilly head office.

The books and gifting retailer did not specify the exact number of job cuts but said it was currently in consultation with those affected, The Bookseller reported.

Waterstones has also decided to keep a number of its stores shut following the lockdown ease due to “impractical circumstances”.

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The retailer said the store closures were mainly its campus branches and one at Leadenhall Market in London.

Its Covent Garden store, which reopened in June, closed again after a week due to a lack of footfall.

Waterstones said sales were lower than before the coronavirus pandemic, mainly in its city-centre shops.

However, the retailer reported a “strong” online performance.

Waterstones chief executive James Daunt had said in June that that the portion of sales that were lost during lockdown had been “lost forever” and that there would be no rebound in the way that most retailers expect.

Daunt added that he expected a further loss for Waterstones and that it would take a while for a return to normality.

In May, Daunt said books would be quarantined if customers pick them up but do not purchase them.

The books would be quarantined for at least three days to protect customers from any potential health risk.

This is due to evidence that Covid-19 can live on clothes for two days and on paper for up to a week.

Retail Gazette has approached Waterstones for comment.

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