Supermarket giant plans to close warehouses, putting 500 jobs at risk
A SUPERMARKET giant has revealed plans to close one of its warehouses as part of the latest shake-up, putting 500 jobs at risk.
Waitrose has started a consultation process over the possible closure of its Enfield branch in north London, which only opened in 2020.
The supermarket chain, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, is likely to close the warehouse this summer before the lease expires in early 2025.
The Enfield Customer Fulfillment Center is a warehouse used to collect and deliver online orders for customers in some areas of North London. It was launched amid a surge in demand for online grocery shopping at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is understood that Waitrose plans to move orders currently going through the site to two other sites.
A final decision on the proposals will not be made until the consultation process, which is expected to last at least 12 weeks, is completed.
A Waitrose spokesperson said: “As rental costs at Enfield increase due to the expansion and capacity elsewhere in our network, we are considering closing the site.
“While not an option we explore lightly, the proposal would maintain our high level of customer service for Waitrose.com and support future growth.
“It is in no way a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our team.
“No decision will be made until we have fully consulted with all partners at our Enfield site, who will be supported throughout the process.”
The planned job cuts are part of cost savings at parent group John Lewis Partnership.
Last week, Sharon White, the partnership’s chairman, told reporters there is “no target” for job cuts, but indicated some roles will be affected by the turnaround strategy.
“Part of our renewal plan is to become simpler and more flexible,” she said.
“As a result, there will be less need for certain positions in some areas in the coming years, but there is no specific target.”
The decision comes as John Lewis announced plans to renovate 80 of its existing Waitrose stores over the next three years.
Looking ahead to the remainder of 2024, the company added in its recent annual results release that it would also “open new Waitrose stores in areas where the brand is undeserved.”
In addition, customers in John Lewis stores will be able to benefit from approximately 80 new brands, a strengthened own brand and a revamped Home category.
Elsewhere, hundreds of jobs and shops are at risk after Ted Baker confirmed plans to bring in administrators.
No Ordinary Designer Label (NODL), owned by Authentic Brands Group (ABG) and trading as Ted Baker, filed a letter of intent on Tuesday.
And shoppers are left desperate after M&S confirmed the exact date it will close one of its branches.
The upmarket retailer is closing branches in several locations and opening 104 new ‘bigger and fresher’ stores in a bid to update its portfolio.