Sainsbury’s has announced it will cut more than 3,000 jobs and plans to shut its remaining in-store cafes as part of a major overhaul.
The headcount reduction represents about 2% of the company’s current 148,000-strong workforce.
It will see about 20% of senior management roles cut at the supermarket giant as part of plans to focus on fewer, bigger roles and to simplify its head office and management teams.
The retailer also said it had decided to close its remaining 61 Sainsbury’s Cafes, subject to consultation.
The majority of Sainsbury’s shoppers do not use the cafes regularly, whereas in-store food halls and concessions have grown in popularity, it said.
The head office job losses will take place over the next few months.
Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s chief executive, said the supermarket was facing a “particularly challenging cost environment” as it moves forward with its company strategy.
He said: “As we accelerate into year two and beyond of our strategy, we are facing into a particularly challenging cost environment which means we have had to make tough choices about where we can afford to invest and where we need to do things differently to make our business more efficient and effective.
“The decisions we are announcing today are essential to ensure we continue to drive forward our momentum but have also meant some difficult choices impacting our dedicated colleagues in a number of parts of our business.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to support anyone impacted by today’s announcements.”
The cuts come after Sainsbury’s announced its “biggest ever” Christmas trading period and said profit for the full-year would likely be between £1.01 billion and £1.06 billion earlier in January.
But the supermarket is also trying to cut costs by £1 billion-a-year, and last year it cut about 1,500 roles, mostly from a contact centre in Cheshire.
The latest job cuts will see the company “explore redeployment opportunities where this is possible” for people affected.
Sainsbury’s said it will also close its remaining patisserie, hot food and pizza counters in-store and make the most popular items available in the aisles instead.
The company said in late 2024 that tax increases from the October Budget would hit it with an extra £140 million in costs, warning that the changes would also lead to higher inflation.
The company said it is making moves to “simplify” the business and remove elements of their offering that are not popular with customers.All remaining Sains
Sainsbury’s has announced it will cut more than 3,000 jobs, close down its in-store cafes, and remove its pizza and hot food counters from stores.The supermar
The cuts will be across the company in a cost-cutting drive which will see the closure of its cafes and pizza counters. There will also be a reduction