More than 750 jobs at risk as Bakkavor set to axe major UK factory September 5, 2024 More than 750 jobs are at risk at the fresh food maker Bakkavor after the London-listed group said it would close one of its North West factories. The company, which is headquartered in London, said today it was looking at axing its Wigan facility after a review revealed it would need “significant investment” to continue [...]
Swissport makes first UK profit since 2018 as sales finally recover from Covid September 5, 2024 The UK arm of Swissport has returned to the black for the first time since 2018 as its turnover recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The Cheshire-headquartered division of the aviation services giant also created 1,400 jobs during its latest financial year but its total headcount is still significantly lower than it was in 2019. Swissport has [...]
Four-day working week will not be imposed on employers, says Government August 30, 2024 The Government has denied it will force businesses to allow staff to work a four-day week but said it supports flexible working. Education minister Baroness Jacqui Smith dismissed a report in The Telegraph that Labour’s Make Work Pay plans could force businesses to accept employees’ demands for a four-day week. She told LBC radio: “We [...]
Gopuff to increase fees as it hopes to deliver first UK profit after cutting almost 1,000 jobs August 29, 2024 Delivery company Gopuff is to up its fees as it targets turning its first-ever UK profit in the coming years after shedding almost 1,000 jobs in 2023. The US-headquartered company reduced its UK headcount from 1,707 to 842 last year, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House. The consumer goods and food delivery company, which [...]
Square Mile and Me: James Uffindell on building Bright Network August 29, 2024 Each week we ask a City figure to take a trip down memory lane. Today, James Uffindell, CEO of Bright Network, takes us through his career.
Next ruling heralds employment law headache August 28, 2024 The Employment Tribunal accepted that the difference in pay rates between Next’s shop floor staff and their warehouse-based colleagues was not down to “direct discrimination” or the “conscious or subconscious influence of gender” on pay decisions. Why, then, did the retailer lose the claim brought by store staff? The answer concerns the much thornier issue [...]
Go Ape continues climb down from Covid-19 pandemic high August 27, 2024 The financial performance of Go Ape continued its post-pandemic climb down following the “exceptional demand” it experienced as the UK came out of the Covid-19 lockdowns. The employee-owned adventure group, which is headquartered in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has reported a fall in its revenue by eight per cent in 2023 to £27.5m. The decrease [...]
Ted Baker seller in the red as jobs cut and stores closed amid focus switch to Suit Direct August 23, 2024 A group which sells Ted Baker clothes across the UK slumped into the red as it significantly restructured itself to focus on its Suit Direct brand. As part of the move, Baird Group disposed of its license to sell Ben Sherman clothes, closed unprofitable stores, cut more than 100 jobs and appointed a new chief [...]
John Lewis redundancies: What does the law say about department store job cuts? August 14, 2024 More UK retail jobs are set to be lost after John Lewis revealed plans to cut its headcount by more than 150 in the coming months. The move means the department store giant becomes the latest household name to reduce its staffing numbers so far this year. John Lewis has said it hopes to achieve [...]
John Lewis: How all the major changes will impact staff and shoppers August 14, 2024 John Lewis is poised to make a series of major changes that will affect all of its stores across the country and its partners. The organisation announced a restructuring plan yesterday that it described as a “multimillion pound” investment in technology and what it has described as ‘simplification’ would help “improve our customer service and make [...]