Shop Direct blames popularity of web for slashing 1,500 jobs
- Added:
- Jan 29, 2010
Home shopping giant Shop Direct is letting 1,500 staff go after deciding to shut down three call centres following a drop in phone sales.
Shop Direct blamed the announcement on the rapid growth in the number of people choosing to shop online rather than phoning to speak to its operatives.
The firm, formerly Littlewoods Home Shopping, said 900 jobs will be lost at its site in Sunderland. The plants in Burnley and Newtown in Wales will also close.
There’s been a sharp drop in the volume of traditional telephone calls to the company’s operators as consumers increasingly embrace the internet.
The proportion of sales via the internet has soared from 18% to over 60% in the past five years, said the group which is owned by the Barclay twins.
‘We recognise that this is a very difficult time for those teams affected by the proposed contact centre closures, said Shop Direct boss Mark Newton-Jones.
‘We are working closely with the trade unions to help staff through the consultation process and support them in finding future employment.’
The latest cuts are on top of the 1,000 employees who left the company after the call centre in Crosby, Merseyside closed last year.
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