B&Q has placed more than 650 roles across its business into consultation as part of efforts to streamline its retail structures, Retail Week can reveal.
The retailer is proposing to cut the number of deputy manager, trading manager and team leader roles across its 318 stores and head office.
If the proposals go ahead, then 672 roles will be axed – the majority across its store estate, with a further 65 in head office.
B&Q says the move comes after it tested the proposed new structure at 16 of its stores over the last 12 months, and insists the changes will “modernise” the business.
Reducing headcount would allow the retailer to “create new customer-focused leadership roles, remove duplication of tasks by leaders, and allow for hours to be reallocated to shopfloor colleagues for time to be spent with customers”.
The retailer has started collective consultation with those affected by the proposed changes and will look to offer alternative roles as well as support packages for those unable to be offered new roles within the business.
B&Q chief executive Graham Bell told Retail Week: “Over the last few years, we’ve evolved at pace to ensure that we can give our customers the very best retail experience. We’ve physically changed our operations so that our stores, apps and online are fully integrated, helping home improvers by giving them more choice, speed and convenience. And we need to keep changing.
“In this dynamic world of retail, we are very much in control of shaping our future. Today’s news would ensure that we continue to evolve and grow market share by prioritising our resources where we can help our customers the most. The proposals shared with colleagues today – to simplify our retail leadership structure and reallocate time to customer service roles on the shop floor, and to change some head office teams – have meant some difficult choices. They impact our dedicated colleagues in retail leadership across all of our stores and in head office functions, and we’ll be doing everything we can to support them.
“Ultimately, it is about setting our business up in the right way so that our colleagues are equipped to give our customers consistently exceptional customer service now and in the future, so that we give home improvers the choice and convenience they deserve.”
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