BHS hires 250 new staff in food retail push amid withheld credit insurance rumours
BHS announced its intention to take on 250 staff yesterday, and denied rumours its suppliers were seeing their credit insurance withheld.
The struggling department store is hiring the extra staff as it seeks to expand into food retail following a successful trial in its Romford, Staines and Warrington stores.
BHS has signed a contract with Booker Group to roll out the scheme, focused on convenience foods, to a further 20 stores nationwide by the end of the summer.
The move into food retail comes after BHS was sold by former owner Philip Green to Retail Acquisitions – a British consortium consisting of an eclectic mix of investors – for £1 in March. Since the buyout, Retail Acquisitions has sought to turn around the fortunes of the 87-year-old retailer by expanding its range of products.
A spokesman for BHS also said rumours the chain’s suppliers were struggling to get credit insurance as insurers viewed BHS as too risky were “outdated”.
“This had been an issue in January and it has since been addressed,” he said, adding: “There is no problem getting suppliers now.”