Fashion retail giant H&M has confirmed it will close its Edinburgh call centre by the end of the year, with 150 job losses.

Workers at the company’s Waverley Gate office were told in August of a proposal to shut the building due to the lease expiring in 2025.

H&M blamed increased competition, changing customer behaviours and operational costs for the closure.

Reports said employees were given two weeks’ notice of their dismissal, but those entitled to more notice will be paid in lieu. The retailer held consultations with employees between September and this month.

H&M also said the number of job losses had been reduced by people being offered alternative roles, finding other employment or choosing to leave voluntarily.

Operations in the call centre will end as soon as mid-December before the site closes next March.

A spokeswoman for H&M said: “We constantly evaluate how we operate to ensure that we deliver on our goals and contribute to the overall success of the company.

“Having looked into the scope of our customer service set-up, increased competition in the market, our customers changing behaviours and expectations and operational costs, we have made the difficult decision to proceed with the proposed closure of our customer service site in Edinburgh by the end of the year.”