8:23am Friday 12th March 2010
JOBS are under threat at one of York’s flagship stores after its bosses announced plans to shake up the way it operates.
A consultation process is due to be launched over the future of 11 positions at Fenwick, with the potential cuts focusing on managerial and administration posts.
The proposed reorganisation is set to concentrate on the company’s York store – with its other bases around the UK being unaffected – as it battles “extremely challenging” trading conditions.
It also says that it hopes it will not need to make compulsory redundancies and that other positions within the business may be available to those affected, as well as confirming the possible losses will not hit the store’s shop-floor staff.
A spokesman for Fenwick Ltd said: “Trading conditions for the retail trade have been extremely challenging, and as a result we are proposing a reorganisation of some of our managerial and non-selling functions.
“If we proceed, approximately 11 roles will be at risk of redundancy. These are at our York store.
“We will soon begin a period of consultation, but in the event that we proceed with our proposed reorganisation, we hope that some of those at risk may be in a position to take up voluntary redundancy and that others may apply for one of the vacancies we have in other areas of the business.”
The independent firm, launched by J J Fenwick in Newcastle in 1882, has 11 stores across the UK and employs about 2,400 staff. Its York branch has been a fixture on the city’s shopping scene since the Coppergate Centre opened in 1984.
The store avoided job losses last year when Fenwick considered making redundancies at its Newcastle branch, just after posting pre-tax profits of £41.7 million and increased turnover of more than £283 million.
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