Jobs will be cut

Home furnishings retailer Ikea has announced a major restructuring of its UK operation after a challenging few years, which will result in a number of job losses.The Swedish group said the structural changes will be put in place by January. These include a new store structure that is consistent across all stores and fewer layers of management. It will also introduce reviewed competency profiles for all store positions, which clearly describe roles and responsibilities and consistent evaluation of competency profiles in the UK.Ikea said: 'We recognise that the way in which we operate our units is not meeting the needs of our customers, nor is it always a lean, simple and quick way of working. Competition continues to strengthen, with many food retailers and global brands moving into the sector. 'To meet these challenges, Ikea UK has reviewed the way in which it will organise its resources in the coming future so that together we can become more productive, efficient and flexible.'