Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Collective redundancyRetailLatest NewsJob creation and lossesRedundancy

M&S to close distribution centres with hundreds of job losses

by Adam McCulloch 17 Feb 2020
by Adam McCulloch 17 Feb 2020 Photo: Shutterstock
Photo: Shutterstock

Marks & Spencer is shutting two regional distribution centres, putting about 600 jobs at risk.

M&S said the changes were part of its transition to a nationally connected supply chain network that will help to fix the basics of its supply chain.

The depots that will close are at Long Eaton, between Derby and Nottingham, where 330 people are being consulted and Thorncliffe, north of Sheffield, where at least 250 workers face an uncertain future. Long Eaton is run by DHL, Thorncliffe by XPO.

Redundancy

Redundancy rights 

Letter informing an employee of a possible redundancy

Despite the closures, M&S said it was investing in six national distribution centres in Welham Green, Bradford, Stoke, Swindon, Thurrock and Castle Donington, to improve supply to its retail outlets.

An M&S spokesperson said: “We’re in the early stages of changing our supply chain to address flow of product and availability for our customers. As part of this, we’ll no longer be serving our stores from our Thorncliffe and Long Eaton distribution centres.

“Moving the operations is not a decision we’ve taken lightly, but it’s an important change to help us best serve our customers as we move to a nationally connected network. Our logistics partners will be working closely with the colleagues at the sites on what is best for them.”

XPO told Sheffield online news provider The Star: “We have entered into a consultation period with colleagues, the trade union and elected employee representatives to finalise the plans.”

The Star also reported that Thorncliffe staff had considered their jobs to be relatively safe because the distribution centre had recently been recruiting more workers.

Area organiser for shopworkers’ union Usdaw, Ed Leach, said the decision was devastating for employees. He added: “Usdaw will now enter into meaningful consultations … where we will interrogate the business case and secure the best possible outcome for all affected.”

Last year, M&S told investors its logistics network was holding it back because it was “complex and high cost” and too slow at replenishing stores.

The retailer, which has lost its place in the FTSE 100, is also said to be considering more store closures; with The Sunday Times reporting that chairman Archie Norman and chief executive Steve Rowe warned landlords that the firm may close any under-performing sites across the UK, including those that had been considered prime.

The newspaper claimed that landlords now expect M&S to close down more than the 110 stores it has already earmarked as part of its turnaround scheme.

Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more human resources jobs

Adam McCulloch
Adam McCulloch

Adam McCulloch is a freelance writer and production editor who has worked in sectors including travel (The Guardian), aviation (Flight International), agriculture (Farmers' Weekly), music (Jazzwise), theatre (The Stage) and social work (Community Care). He also works for a national newspaper and is the author of KentWalksNearLondon

previous post
Fall in visa applications triggers skills warning for private sector
next post
Supreme Court to hear ‘unlawful inducements’ appeal

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

McColl’s administration puts 16,000 jobs at risk

6 May 2022

Youth collective to inform Body Shop strategy

6 May 2022

New law protects emergency and retail workers from...

4 May 2022

Foodservice group to create 32,000 new jobs

22 Apr 2022

Sainsbury’s increases wages for second time in four...

8 Apr 2022

Hiring activity in March 2022 began to stabilise

8 Apr 2022

H&M signs pledge to protect female workers in...

1 Apr 2022

Sainsbury’s discriminated against worker with brain injury, finds...

24 Mar 2022

B&Q and Screwfix pay to rise from April

22 Mar 2022

Rising cost of living prompts Currys hourly pay...

15 Mar 2022
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+