The Very Group is cutting a number of roles across its head office and customer care team as it transforms its business in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The online retail group is cutting 141 existing roles across its business, comprising 106 head office roles and 35 customer care roles. The retailer will create 100 new roles across its technology division alongside these job cuts.

Chief executive Henry Birch said: “As we look to the future, we need the right team structures, working practices and environments to enable us to meet the opportunities and tackle the challenges that lie ahead. That means reshaping our business and bringing in new people and skills to enhance our capabilities.

“Unfortunately, that also means that we will be making a number of existing roles redundant. In making these changes, we are committed to supporting our impacted colleagues through what we know will be a difficult time and will work closely with our recognised trade union, Usdaw.”

Alongside this restructure, The Very Group said it “will be introducing a series of measures aimed at retaining the digital ways of working and increased levels of flexibility and autonomy that its colleagues have enjoyed and that have proven effective over the last three months”.

As part of this, the online retailer plans to close its customer care site in Aintree next year, with the 500 customer care colleagues who usually work from these premises to work between the retailer’s Speke headquarters and from home. 

“Faced with the coronavirus pandemic, we adapted quickly and successfully to continue serving our customers, including setting up our customer care team to work from home. I want to thank all of our colleagues for their hard work and commitment during this exceptionally challenging time,” said Birch.