Britain's Sainsbury's to cut 500 more jobs, shrink office space

 

FILE PHOTO: Women shop at a Sainsbury's supermarket, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in London, Britain January 12, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British supermarket group Sainsbury's plans to cut an additional 500 jobs and reduce its office space as it simplifies administrative functions for the post-pandemic era, it said on Wednesday.

 

The job cuts are on top of 3,500 put at risk after new CEO Simon Roberts embarked on a major restructuring in November that closed Argos shops and in-store meat, fish and deli counters.

 

The latest move will see the group vacate two floors at its headquarters in Holborn, central London, two floors at its office in Milton Keynes, outside of the capital, and one floor at its office in Manchester, northern England. Other smaller offices will also close.

 

"The money we save will enable us to invest in what customers really care about - lower prices, exciting new products and the most convenient ways for them to shop," said Roberts, who succeeded Mike Coupe in June.

 

Sainsbury's, Britain's second largest supermarket group after Tesco, also said it plans to close its online fulfilment centre (OFC), or so called "dark store", in Bromley-by-Bow, east London, as it focuses on servicing online orders from regular stores.

 

It said it hoped to redeploy most of the 650 workers at the centre to other stores.

 

Sainsbury's' latest job cuts come a week after rival Asda said 5,000 jobs were at risk from a restructuring.

 

Shares in the group, up 12% over the last year, closed Wednesday at 221.3 pence, valuing the business at just under 5 billion pounds ($7 billion).

 

($1 = 0.7161 pounds)

 

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Alistair Smout, Kirsten Donovan)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-04

 

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i think its Aldi and Lidl stealing the customers

12 minutes ago, steve187 said:

i think its Aldi and Lidl stealing the customers

You might be right, in so much as millions of families can barely make ends meet and need to shop for the cheapest groceries they can find.

 

Perhaps not ‘stealing’ rather customers being driven to cheaper alternatives by unceasing poverty.

Go Woke, Go Broke.

 

Their constant pandering and virtue signaling to the likes of BLM did not go down well with the vast majority of the British public. Promoting racial segregation with their "safe spaces" (which were effectively non-white spaces) was particularly regressive and discriminatory. Akin to having black people sit at the back of the bus in Alabama in the 1950's (but reversed). How 'progressive'.

 

This was their response to the concerns over the racial segregation.

 

 

Well Sainsbury's, it looks like they did. Maybe it's time to get out of political posturing and get back to selling cheap spuds.

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Go Woke, Go Broke.

 

Their constant pandering and virtue signaling to the likes of BLM did not go down well with the vast majority of the British public. Promoting racial segregation with their "safe spaces" (which were effectively non-white spaces) was particularly regressive and discriminatory. Akin to having black people sit at the back of the bus in Alabama in the 1950's (but reversed). How 'progressive'.

 

This was their response to the concerns over the racial segregation.

 

 

Well Sainsbury's, it looks like they did. Maybe it's time to get out of political posturing and get back to selling cheap spuds.

Where did you get that from?

 

Please provide a link.

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Where did you get that from?

 

Please provide a link.

 

 

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Go Woke, Go Broke.

 

Their constant pandering and virtue signaling to the likes of BLM did not go down well with the vast majority of the British public. Promoting racial segregation with their "safe spaces" (which were effectively non-white spaces) was particularly regressive and discriminatory. Akin to having black people sit at the back of the bus in Alabama in the 1950's (but reversed). How 'progressive'.

 

This was their response to the concerns over the racial segregation.

 

 

Well Sainsbury's, it looks like they did. Maybe it's time to get out of political posturing and get back to selling cheap spuds.

 

Oops - sorry, just seen your link. 

 

Mr Doyle seems like an... interesting chap. He's a bit overly concerned with 'critical race theory' if his timeline is anything to go by, but then again he has a book to sell so maybe he is using the Yaxley Lennon / Katie Hopkins approach of saying outrageous things to people desperate to be outraged?

1 minute ago, RuamRudy said:

 

Sainsbury's has introduced racial segregation? Are you sure?

 

What else would you call creating 'safe spaces' for specific racial groups?

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

 

What else would you call creating 'safe spaces' for specific racial groups?

 

I would call it sad that it is considered necessary, but a compassionate recognition of the fact that a minority group feels that they need to be able to isolate themselves from the pressures that those of us not in that minority group do not routinely experience. 

5 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

I would call it sad that it is considered necessary, but a compassionate recognition of the fact that a minority group feels that they need to be able to isolate themselves from the pressures that those of us not in that minority group do not routinely experience. 

 

You're welcome to your opinion of course.

 

I would call it virtue signaling from a supercilious corporation that is not only hugely patronizing to black people by assuming they need protection from the evil white man, but also pushes regressive policies that should have been left long in the past. A cynical ploy to attempt to gain some credibility by pandering to the recent, divisive trend of identity politics. 

7 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

You're welcome to your opinion of course.

 

I would call it virtue signaling from a supercilious corporation that is not only hugely patronizing to black people by assuming they need protection from the evil white man, but also pushes regressive policies that should have been left long in the past. A cynical ploy to attempt to gain some credibility by pandering to the recent, divisive trend of identity politics. 

 

That would assume, however, that black employees are incapable of thinking for themselves, and are merely following instruction to congregate in these locations. Now that would be patronising. 

Back on topic - it will be interesting to see their full year results, but I suspect that 2020 was a bonanza year for Sainsbury's, from the panic buying in Q1 and Q2 to the prolonged closure of restaurants and takeaway services, plus the growth in online shopping. 

There is never a good time for major upheaval of a business, but the least worst time is probably during periods of general unrest and discomfort. 

57 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

What else would you call creating 'safe spaces' for specific racial groups?

I’d say triggered.

 

 

2 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

Oops - sorry, just seen your link. 

 

Mr Doyle seems like an... interesting chap. He's a bit overly concerned with 'critical race theory' if his timeline is anything to go by, but then again he has a book to sell so maybe he is using the Yaxley Lennon / Katie Hopkins approach of saying outrageous things to people desperate to be outraged?

 

Yes Andrew Doyle is a very interesting chap. I'm not sure of his comparison with Tommy Robinson though, he's a left wing Labour supporter, author and playwright.

 

I'd imagine you'd be more aligned with one of his best friends though, Titania McGrath.

 

Back on topic though, I can't imagine Sainsbury's shareholders will be too impressed with their ill advised foray into politics and advising their customers to shop elsewhere if they have alternative political beliefs. Maybe it's time for some diversity of thought from their Board members?

Back to news you can use I'm off to one of the branches not closed down in about 2 hours on my list is beef in black bean sauce and several bottles of Roja ????

2 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Yes Andrew Doyle is a very interesting chap. I'm not sure of his comparison with Tommy Robinson though, he's a left wing Labour supporter, author and playwright.

 

I'd imagine you'd be more aligned with one of his best friends though, Titania McGrath.

 

Back on topic though, I can't imagine Sainsbury's shareholders will be too impressed with their ill advised foray into politics and advising their customers to shop elsewhere if they have alternative political beliefs. Maybe it's time for some diversity of thought from their Board members?

Protecting staff and customers from racial abuse is not a ‘political belief’ its a legal duty of all employers/businesses owners.

 

Work places are by law required to be ‘safe spaces’.

 

.....

 

But here’s another observation:

 

How often do we have to put up with accusation of ‘playing the race card’, and yet here you are again inserting your problems with race into yet another topic where it has no place?!

 

 

11 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Back to news you can use I'm off to one of the branches not closed down in about 2 hours on my list is beef in black bean sauce and several bottles of Roja ????

Sainsbury have for a number of years now had a great wine selection.

7 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Protecting staff and customers from racial abuse is not a ‘political belief’ its a legal duty of all employers/businesses owners.

 

Work places are by law required to be ‘safe spaces’.

 

.....

 

But here’s another observation:

 

How often do we have to put up with accusation of ‘playing the race card’, and yet here you are again inserting your problems with race into yet another topic where it has no place?!

 

 

 

Missed the point haven't you. Deliberately I suspect.

 

As you well know, I am 100% opposed to racial segregation. Sainsbury's have a policy of racially segregating. Racially segregating is not protecting anyone, it is a regressive and divisive policy more akin to 1950's America. I believe in treating everyone the same irrespective of colour.

 

Sounds like you'd like to go back to the days of blacks sitting at the back of the bus again? It would appear it is you that has issues with race, not me.

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Sainsbury have for a number of years now had a great wine selection.

I'm curranty on a cheeky Spanish Carta Roja from the bottom shelf at £4.97 it' a stunner would like to progress to looking up but stuck here on universal credit ????   

12 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Missed the point haven't you. Deliberately I suspect.

 

As you well know, I am 100% opposed to racial segregation. Sainsbury's have a policy of racially segregating. Racially segregating is not protecting anyone, it is a regressive and divisive policy more akin to 1950's America. I believe in treating everyone the same irrespective of colour.

 

Sounds like you'd like to go back to the days of blacks sitting at the back of the bus again? It would appear it is you that has issues with race, not me.

Sainsbury do not have a policy of racial segregation, any amount of gaslighting won’t change that fact.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Sainsbury do not have a policy of racial segregation, any amount of gaslighting won’t change that fact.

 

 

 

Yes they do. They have black only 'safe spaces'. I have provided links already. 

 

First you support them, and now you deny their existence. Who is gaslighting? 

 

 

55 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Yes they do. They have black only 'safe spaces'. I have provided links already. 

 

First you support them, and now you deny their existence. Who is gaslighting? 

 

 

Your link was a Twitter post from a comedian.

 

Perhaps you posted it for comic effect.

 

Sainsbury are not segregating anyone.

7 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Your link was a Twitter post from a comedian.

 

Perhaps you posted it for comic effect.

 

Sainsbury are not segregating anyone.

 

Yes they are, as you have seen from the links. 

 

What's more, you support it. ????

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

Yes they do. They have black only 'safe spaces'. I have provided links already. 

 

First you support them, and now you deny their existence. Who is gaslighting? 

 

 

I am a bit lost with this story. What are exactly these "safe places"? Does it mean there are rooms in their offices where black employees can meet? Or is it something else?

1 minute ago, candide said:

I am a bit lost with this story. What are exactly these "safe places"? Does it mean there are rooms in their offices where black employees can meet? Or is it something else?

He has no idea.

 

He’s parroting the Twitter feed from a comedian.

10 hours ago, webfact said:

.......exciting new products

Please don't promote the chocolate covered tampons again.

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Sainsbury have for a number of years now had a great wine selection.

Then stop whining......????

12 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

He has no idea.

 

He’s parroting the Twitter feed from a comedian.

 

So why is it on Sainsbury's own twitter feed? ????

 

 

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

 

So why is it on Sainsbury's own twitter feed? ????

 

 

So there are online groups. I see

I find their black Friday quite suspect, too! ????