Lifestyle retailer and brand Fat Face has made 18 head office redundancies and created 45 store jobs as it cuts administrative costs and opens more stores.

Fat Face chief executive Anthony Thompson said the redundancies had been made across administrative functions such as finance and human resources and represented a 6% cut in head office staff. He added: “We are prioritising resources towards product and stores.”

Thompson vowed to increase investment in product at the 182-store retailer by returning to its roots as an outdoor clothing business.

Eight more stores are slated to open before the end of 2010, in locations including Newark, Wells, Dublin and Sidmouth.

Thompson said did not anticipate any further redundancies in the near future and added: “It is a sad day when we have to make redundancies but there is a need to cut costs. My attitude is that if cuts need to be made I will do it in the right areas and do it once.”