Today in Retail: Waitrose shakes up store structure

Its upmarket grocer Waitrose today revealed plans to cut jobs and shutter six branches.

Waitrose said that 180 store management level jobs and 498 store staff roles are at risk as it moves to simplify the management structure and create a “whole shop” culture.

This reshuffle could simply be viewed as Waitrose catching up with its big four rivals – most other grocers started cutting out middle-management back in 2014.

However, such drastic activity could also signal that even the John Lewis Partnership is beginning to feel the pinch.

Elsewhere in the news, DFS boss Ian Filby warned of an impending market slowdown as consumer confidence begins to wane.

The furniture aficionado is relentlessly upbeat about the performance at DFS however, where sales jumped 7% in its first half.

But, Filby’s words will have resonated with retailers in the furniture world. Are their lucrative glory days following the credit crunch drawing to a close?

Quote of the day

“We’re moving into a year of uncertainty and it’s right for everyone to be more prudent, but I don’t think any of the indicators are suggesting the sort of impact the credit crunch had.”

– DFS chief executive Ian Filby

Today in numbers

12

The number of months outgoing chief technology officer Hugh Fahy spent at Notonthehighstreet.com.

27

The number of Dwell shop-in-shops DFS has installed to date.

Tomorrow’s agenda

Look out for the latest episode of The Retail Week, when we dissect Dunelm’s interim results and Richard Pennycook’s departure from the Co-op.

Emily Hardy, reporter