Some 2,500 jobs are under threat following the collapse of
apparel retailer Republic on 13th February. Headquartered in
Leeds, Republic operates 121 stores across the UK as well as a
website, which has already closed down. “Republic suffered
poor trading results in the autumn, and whilst sales picked up in
December there has been a sudden and rapid decline in sales in
late January,” commented Hunter Kelly, an administrator at
Ernst & Young.
Upon appointment, the administrators immediately axed 150 jobs at
head office. The stores continue to trade, with a view for
Republic to be sold at a going concern.
There were more job woes as Deloitte, which is handling the
administration of video-rentals chain Blockbuster, confirmed a
further 164 stores would close over the coming weeks. The 800 or
so store staff facing redundancy have been offered assistance to
find other jobs.
At John Lewis, sweeping cuts in its stores see headcount reduced
as the company makes 325 department managers redundant-despite
strong sales. The cuts involved managers who oversee furnishings,
womenswear, and beauty as part of John Lewis’s “retail
revolution” plans. Playing down the redundancies, John
Lewis also said that there will be opportunities for
“redeployment in new roles created as part of this process
or in new shops due to open over the next 18 months”.
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