// 150 WHSmith head office jobs in London & Swindon enter redundancy consultations
// The affected roles represent around 18% of WHSmith’s head office staff count
// Shop floor staff are not affected by the consultancies
WHSmith has kicked off a consultancy process with head office staff that could potentially lead to around 150 redundancies being made.
The Retail Gazette understands the redundancy consultation affects the books and stationery retailer’s head offices in London and Swindon, and that the proposed redundancies represents about 18 per cent of the two offices’ total staff count.
WHSmith shop floor staff are not affected by the redundancy consultation.
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Retail Gazette understands that WHSmith is pursuing the redundancies after a review of its central office teams and the desire reflect the needs of the post-lockdown market.
The Retail Gazette has contacted the bookstore chain for comment.
The news makes WHSmith the latest retailer to announce job cuts this week, although its numbers make up a fraction of the total 2000-plus jobs cuts announced between Harrods, Harveys, TM Lewin and Topshop parent company Arcadia.
Meanwhile, the John Lewis Partnership said job cuts were on the horizon after it warned that some of its department stores may never reopen, and that one of its two central London head offices will close down.
The partnership has so far brought 32 John Lewis stores out of lockdown but the future of the remaining 18 sites remain uncertain.
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