Sainsbury’s has proposed plans to cut 1,500 roles under its Next level Sainsbury’s strategy, which the grocer unveiled earlier this month as it looks to save £1bn over the next three years.
The supermarket’s plans, which are still subject to consultation, are part of its Save and invest to win programme, where any savings created are invested back into the business.
The changes include simplifying its store support centre structure, creating more efficient contact centre operations, consolidating its general merchandise fulfilment network and improving its bakery offer and availability in some stores.
The retailer has laid out a simpler structure for some of its teams at its store support centre and has proposed changes to various teams including retail, transformation, HR, supply chain and logistics.
It said it was continuing to look at where it could work more effectively with third party partners and had proposed changes in its Widnes contact centre that all its Careline services will be run through an existing partner.
Sainsbury’s assured the majority of staff affected would be transferred to its service partner, offering a range of career and redeployment opportunities.
The grocer has already begun a programme to move stores to a more efficient way of freshly baking products in-store and has outlined plans to move more of its stores to this model.
As a result, it will conduct a consultancy process with bakers in these stores, and said it has reassured affected colleagues it will find alternative roles for them where possible, as it will for any staff affected by the proposed changes.
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Sainsbury’s is speaking to workers about proposals to change how and where it moves stock in some locations, in order to continue at pace with the consolidation and optimisation of its general merchandise distribution network.
It is also in talks with staff about proposals to change how and where it moves stock in some locations.
It assured the small proportion of colleagues affected were being supported through redeployment to other roles in the business where possible.
It added that it had plans to open more sites in other parts of the country this year, creating more sites and jobs overall.
Sainsbury’s CEO Simon Roberts said: “As we move into the next phase of our strategy, we are making some difficult, but necessary decisions.
The proposals we’ve been talking to teams about today are important to ensure we’re better set up to focus on the things that create a real impact for our customers, delivering good food for all of us and building a platform for growth. I know today’s news is unsettling for affected colleagues and we will do everything we can do support them.”
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