The Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) Group is set to undergo a restructure of roles at the head offices of its fascias as a recent spate of acquisitions has led an overlap in some roles.
A source close to the matter told Retail Gazette that the restructuring will lead to an expected net loss of less than five staff members across the headquarters of its Jaeger, Austin Reed and Berwin & Berwin brands.
It comes after EWM rescued the three retail fascias from administration in the past 18 months.
The minor job losses are thought to be a result of an integration of these brands and the merging of some roles where there is overlap.
A spokesman for EWM Group confirmed with the Retail Gazette that a consultation process has commenced.
“Due to our recent acquisitions, we have taken the decision to merge a very small number of roles across our new brands,” he said.
“We are going through a consultation process to ensure this takes place smoothly.
“We are delighted with the performance of our recent acquisitions, and have committed to invest heavily to ensure they continue to go from strength to strength as we build our position in the luxury fashion market through their brand heritage and commitment to quality.”
EWM’s acquisitions of Austin Reed took place in November 2016, Jaeger in March 2017 and Berwin & Berwin earlier this year.
EWM also owns the eponymous retail chain along with Peacocks and the new Day department stores.
According to files at Companies House, for the year to February 2017, EWM saw a 1.7 per cent rise in operating profits to £91.5 million.
Meanwhile, while like-for-like sales and total sales rose 2.7 per cent to £592.1 million.
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