B&Q is slated to cull 200 head office jobs as part of a cost cutting drive and restructure.
The DIY retailer said that the job cuts at its Southampton headquarters would “improve efficiency and simplify ways of working”.
B&Q said it has started consulting with affected employees and their representative body, the National People’s Forum.
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“We recognise this is a difficult time for our colleagues and are supporting them in a number of ways,” B&Q group HR director Helena Feltham said.
“The new structure will improve efficiency, simplify ways of working, and reflect recent changes in the market and the number of B&Q stores.
“We want to be the leading home improvement company and make home improvement accessible to everyone. That means delivering great quality at prices that are truly affordable. To do that, we must operate differently.
“We are continuing to collectively consult with our employee’s representative body – the National People’s Forum, and are now consulting with our impacted colleagues.”
A spokesperson from B&Q added that while B&Q’s head office is reducing in size, its parent company Kingfisher has created a number of new roles in the same office over the last two years.
The news comes just days after Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Topshop/Topman all announced thousands of collective job cuts or restructures, while hundreds of jobs are up in the air at fashion retailer East after it fell into administration for the second time within three years.
Major high street names have been affected by rising business rates and inflation that has come about since the Brexit vote, with the cost of goods soaring and consumer confidence plummeting.
B&Q’s job cuts also comes amid an overhaul at parent company Kingfisher, which last year warned over a “cautious” outlook in the UK.
Despite the uncertainty, Kingfisher chief executive Veronique Laury is aiming boost profits by £500 million a year by 2021.
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