Sainsbury’s is to outsource store support roles to Accenture putting 300 jobs at risk.
The grocer today launched a consultation with the staff impacted, who are based in Sainsbury’s offices in Manchester, Holborn and Ansty in Warwickshire.
Roles in food commercial, people services and HR, and finance operations are being outsourced to professional services firm Accenture, reported Retail Week.
The retailer is exploring alternative roles for impacted staff as part of the consultation, as well as offering redundancy packages, which a Sainsbury’s spokeswoman pointed out “far exceeds statutory requirements”.
The decision is part of Sainsbury’s cost-cutting ‘save to invest’ programme. The retailer plans to make savings to invest in low prices and product innovation.
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The spokeswoman said the changes were designed to make it “a more simple, nimble and efficient business” so it can reinvest in “what matters most to customers – low prices, exciting new products and convenient ways to shop”.
As part of the ‘save to invest’ programme, Sainsbury’s revealed it was planning to close 200 in-store cafes and less popular hot-food counters in 34 stores last month, which put 2,000 jobs on the line.
It decided to close all in-store meat, fish and deli counters in November 2020 because of “reduced consumer demand”.
Sainsbury’s has also created a new Sainsbury’s Business Services team, which will be led by chief transformation officer Graham Biggart, that will explore where to drive further efficiencies across the business.
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A consultancy will take time to meet those “pitch” promises. Perhaps JS should have considered coming out completely from Holborn (expensive central London costs in all areas) and moving that function / team into premises at one of their extra large Distribution Centres i.e. Coleshill /Birmingham. Abetter move rather than potentially “bin” that expertise.