Type
Closure
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Location of affected unit(s)
Sunderland, Burnley, Newtown
Sector
Retail
Retail Trade, Except Of Motor Vehicles And Motorcycles
Retail Sale Via Stalls And Markets Or Other
47.91 - Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet

1,500 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
28 January 2010
Employment effect (start)
Foreseen end date

Description

Shop Direct, an owner of a number of home shopping brands, announced plans to cut 1500 jobs. The company will close three call centres in Sunderland, Burnley, and Newtown in Powys. The closures are blamed on a sharp decline in the number of customers using the phone services to shop followed by a significant increase of the proportion of sales made online from 18% to more than 60%. The GMB union has been in negotiations with the company, but as of 1 February 2010 there is no further information on the case.


Sources

  • 28 January 2010: BBC News

Citation

Eurofound (2010), Shop Direct, Closure in United Kingdom, factsheet number 70128, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/70128.