The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)

Lotus wrote:Wonder how many of the Argos job losses are down to COVID, and how many are down to mismanagement by Sainsbury's? Always thought Argos was doing quite well before the takeover. That being said, their website and delivery system is awful, as well as buying from their eBay site. Using them has me thinking "I want to give you my money, why are you making it so awkward for me?".

None of them will be due to Covid, it is all about getting rid of any synergies between the two companies (the reason I am going). A lot of the stand alone stores' leases were running out, they just close the store and move the staff into a SIS in the local Sainsbury's. Recently though, Argos retail staff have been put onto Sainsbury's payroll. I'm not sure now how many retail staff are actually Argos or just Sainsbury's in a uniform

When I started there were about 35,000 on Argos payroll, now there is less than 4000, none of which are retail.

It is mainly Distribution and Call Centre staff left, as they are unionised. The last thing they want is to be put on Sainsbury's T&Cs, as they are awful.

Friend of mine worked at Sainsbury's for 10 years, from shop floor to training manager and they made him redundant with one month's notice out of nowhere back in 2018.

I've never heard a single good thing about their HR procedures.

KK wrote:Has anyone ever used a supermarket salad bar, BTW? I've always been sceptical.

I use the Morrison's one fairly often.

Before Covid there was a woman at one of the Sainsbury's I go to that had worked there for over 50 years (she actually featured on that Sainsbury's ~~advert~~ documentary series that went out on BBC1 last year) and she really enjoyed working there. Not sure if they've retired her now though, as I haven't been in there since March.

Tafdolphin wrote:Friend of mine worked at Sainsbury's for 10 years, from shop floor to training manager and they made him redundant with one month's notice out of nowhere back in 2018.

I've never heard a single good thing about their HR procedures.

Yeah, our HR dept was one of the first things to get eaten by Sainsbury's, which was gooseberry fool. My team is part of HR, so from being able to just talk to the HR guys about any issues, we then had to shout into the black hole void that is Sainsbury's HR. It doesn't bode well for me getting any kind of reference from them. Experience from people in my team who finished in March is they just ignore reference requests.

Absolutely awful.

OnlyShallow wrote:
Lotus wrote:Wonder how many of the Argos job losses are down to COVID, and how many are down to mismanagement by Sainsbury's? Always thought Argos was doing quite well before the takeover. That being said, their website and delivery system is awful, as well as buying from their eBay site. Using them has me thinking "I want to give you my money, why are you making it so awkward for me?".

None of them will be due to Covid, it is all about getting rid of any synergies between the two companies (the reason I am going). A lot of the stand alone stores' leases were running out, they just close the store and move the staff into a SIS in the local Sainsbury's. Recently though, Argos retail staff have been put onto Sainsbury's payroll. I'm not sure now how many retail staff are actually Argos or just Sainsbury's in a uniform

When I started there were about 35,000 on Argos payroll, now there is less than 4000, none of which are retail.

It is mainly Distribution and Call Centre staff left, as they are unionised. The last thing they want is to be put on Sainsbury's T&Cs, as they are awful.

The shop staff weren't unionised?

Tafdolphin wrote:Friend of mine worked at Sainsbury's for 10 years, from shop floor to training manager and they made him redundant with one month's notice out of nowhere back in 2018.

I've never heard a single good thing about their HR procedures.

Sounds about right. Morrisons have had management restructures (although store and HR managers are never involved because ???) roughly every two years which usually results in people being made redundant because their job doesn't exist anymore.

Somebody Else's Problem wrote:
KK wrote:Has anyone ever used a supermarket salad bar, BTW? I've always been sceptical.

I use the Morrison's one fairly often.

They got rid of all my favourite stuff earlier in the year when they changed their range

I only really get the pesto now.

As a bloke from Learn Direct (are they still around?) once told me, 'HR is not your friend, it's there to protect the company'.

KK wrote:As a bloke from Learn Direct (are they still around?) once told me, 'HR is not your friend, it's there to protect the company'.

It's alarming how few people get this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54929684

Covid: Caffè Nero seeks help after pandemic 'decimates' trading

Hopefully they survive as they are my favourite of the coffee chains.

Guardian wrote:WH Smith to shut 25 high street stores after it reports £280m loss

Retailer says nearly 200 jobs will be affected as coronavirus pandemic hits sales

WH Smith is set to close 25 high street stores, affecting nearly 200 jobs, after the coronavirus pandemic pushed the retailer £280m into the red.

The books to paperclips chain said it was likely to permanently close the stores, which are mainly smaller outlets, after sales in its high street business fell 19%.

However, the group’s previously successful travel outlets – in stations, airports and hospitals – have been even worse hit. They recorded a 43% slide in sales in the year to 31 August.

In contrast, sales through the retailer’s main website soared by more than 240%.

The company, which operates more than 1,000 UK stores and a further 500-plus overseas, said: “While this is not an easy decision to make for our colleagues or the communities we serve, it is vital we retain a strong and cash generative high street portfolio going forward.”

The group said it intends to renegotiate the terms of leases on 120 stores this year and a further 300 are up for renewal over the next three years. It agreed average rent cuts of 45% on leases renewed in the past year.

WH Smith also cancelled its final dividend, worth £47m last year, as it said it expected to burn through £20m of cash in November alone during the UK’s high street lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The group had already cancelled its half year dividend meaning now payout for shareholders this year

The latest job cuts come on top of 1,500 jobs losses announced by WH Smith in August – about 15% of the company’s 14,000-strong global workforce – in shops located in railway stations and airports.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... oronavirus

Also another blow to the magazine industry.

Godzilla wrote:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54929684

Covid: Caffè Nero seeks help after pandemic 'decimates' trading

Hopefully they survive as they are my favourite of the coffee chains.

All these coffee and sandwich places are going to have to quickly change their business model even past the pandemic I don't think their current structure is going to work.

I've received a lot of leaflets from Just Eat, Uber and Deliveroo promoting the likes of Costa and so on, but I can't exactly see the market for delivered coffees being very high.

No....

(4th delivery of the week tiday)

Delivered coffee may not be their main use but I imagine Costa and the like will shift a lot of sandwiches, pastires etc. via Deliveroo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-54944006

Greggs to cut 820 jobs amid lockdown sales slump

Godzilla wrote:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-54944006

Greggs to cut 820 jobs amid lockdown sales slump

Seems like only a few weeks ago they were celebrating significant success thanks to their vegan sausage roll! Very easy to understand why, though. I'd have something from Gregg's maybe twice a week pre-pandemic. I've not been there for months now.

It's truly the apocalypse if Greggs is losing money.

Damn, like you said Ob considering the noise they were making about bonuses at the beginning of the year that's rough. Admittedly I'm part of the problem, going from getting my breakfast there every day to not going since March - but working from home I just make my own sausage and bacon butties now.

Jenuall wrote:Delivered coffee may not be their main use but I imagine Costa and the like will shift a lot of sandwiches, pastires etc. via Deliveroo

I don’t see how they make much from it. Cafe Nero was in a good place pre pandemic. It should return if normality returns in the next 12 months.

I’ve ordered Costa from Deliveroo. The delivery charge is about £1-£2 and the drinks probably go up 10p.

What does tier 3 mean for no essentials retail stores? Does anyone know? Will they all be open again on December 2nd?

The Retail Apocalypse (Incorporating Casual Dining Closures)

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