Primark to cut 400 jobs as part of a staffing shake-up

PRIMARK is to cut as many as 400 jobs as part of a major staffing shake-up.

The fashion giant has 191 stores in the UK, which currently employ 29,000 people.

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But bosses have blamed the Omicron variant of coronavirus having kept shoppers away from stores as of late, meaning a decline in sales.

Primark’s UK sales were 10% lower in the 16 weeks to January 8 when compared with pre-pandemic levels two years ago.

But the lack of footfall and declining sales mean a drastic change to a large number of workers at the fashion giant.

A restructure of jobs within the company is planned to offset costs that hit the store because of the pandemic.

Bosses are looking to slash operating costs and overheads, and the UK store management structure is going to be simplified too, as part of the programme.

Primark’s owner, Associated British Foods, has said however, that trading had in fact improved in recent weeks.

Shoppers are starting to ease off fears of Omicron as some measures are relaxed, and they are starting to shop in-store once more.

Primark doesn’t offer an online shop, so fans of the fashion retailer haven’t been able to get their fix from the comfort of their own home, like with many other fashion giants.

That means the chain relies heavily on its in-store footfall, but the pandemic hasn’t helped with shoppers’ confidence venturing out to the highstreet.

Despite that, Primark bosses said that like-for-like sales were higher when compared with the final quarter of its last financial year, when stores were shut due to lockdown measures.

AB Foods said supply chain problems had begun to ease since last autumn, although it is still seeing some delays at ports and with shipments.

Total Primark sales were 36% ahead year-on-year, it added.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk