// Dyson will cut 900 jobs globally as consumer habits shift online thanks to Covid-19
// The engineering group employs a total of 4000 people in the UK
Dyson has said it will axe 900 jobs across the company as the Covid-19 crisis has shifted consumer purchases online.
The tech brand and retailer employs a total of 4000 people in the UK, and those affected will be staff in retail and customer service.
At least 600 jobs will be scrapped in the UK, with the other 300 being elsewhere in Dyson’s global operations.
READ MORE: Dyson moves 100 jobs overseas
While demand for its products including floor cleaners and air purifiers remained high, Dyson said customers were buying the products online rather than going into stores.
The change in consumer habits was driven by the government-mandated lockdown which came into effect in late March and saw non-essential retailers shut stores across the UK.
“The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated changes in consumer behaviour and therefore requires changes in how we engage with our customers and how we sell our products,” Dyson said.
“We are evolving our organisation and reflecting these changes to make us faster, more agile, and better able to grow sustainably.
“We are fully supporting those who are impacted, finding alternative roles where possible.”
Dyson said it had not put any employees on furlough or drawn on public money to support jobs during the pandemic.
The company went through a restructuring in 2018 which helped its sales reach an annual turnover of £4.4 billion.
Last year, Dyson moved over 100 back office jobs to India and the Czech Republic as it prepared to relocate its head office to Singapore.
Dyson founder and prominent Brexiteer Sir James Dyson announced in January 2019 that he would pull the firm’s headquarters out of the UK ahead of its departure from the EU.
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