N Brown to axe hundreds of jobs as it trims costs

The JD Williams and Simply Be owner has launched a 45-day consultation with around 200 head office employees and 70 workers at its distribution centre, Drapers reported.

It is understood that all departments are at risk, and the consultation will conclude in early November.

It follows on from the 105 roles that were cut across the group’s head office and supply chain last year after it agreed to be taken private by Joshua Alliance, a member of the family who built N Brown.

A spokesperson for N Brown Group told the publication: “In a challenging retail environment, we are taking steps to accelerate the delivery of our strategic transformation and our new financial services offering, building a stronger, more sustainable future for our business.

“This process does require organisational change, which has unfortunately resulted in a number of roles being placed at risk of redundancy.

“We appreciate that this is a very worrying time for those impacted, and we continue to support all of our colleagues through this process.”