15/01/2004

900 jobs go at Boots' Nottingham HQ

Up to 900 jobs are set to go at Boots' head office in Nottingham, it has been announced today.

The jobs will go over the next six months, saving Boots around £39 million for the year. The redundancies will be managed in accordance with "established company practice" and as many as possible will be achieved through voluntary redundancy. Full outplacement support will be provided, a spokesperson added.

The retailer said that the jobs cull would "cut layers of management" and deliver a simpler and more responsive business. The changes would affect all support and central functions based in Nottingham and some regional store support roles, the company said.

However, it was also revealed that the company would reinvest £5 million in the "strengthening of the store organisation" in pharmacy, sales – which will create around 290 roles over the next year.

Richard Baker, Boots Chief Executive Officer, said: "Boots operates in an extremely competitive environment where pace of decision making and speed of implementation is integral to success. The proposed changes would reduce complexity and costs of head office functions, which improves our ability to compete. "

Today's headcount loss is part of the 'Getting in Shape' programme, announced in 2002, which is designed to shave £100 million from costs in back office and supply chain activities.

(gmcg)

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