Around 100 Lidl workers are entering a consultation with the discount grocer amid the closure of its Walsall warehouse.
The site is set to close in 12 months as the grocer has decided the 50-year-old building is no longer considered fit for purpose with staff given the option between redundancy or redeployment to alternative sites, The Grocer reported.
A Lidl spokesperson told the publication: “In recent years we have invested significantly in the expansion and optimisation of our warehouse infrastructure, to support our growing operations across the country.
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“Since 2008, our Walsall facility has been a key support function for our stores and distribution centres. However, the site itself is not purpose-built having been constructed around 50 years ago and, with multiple buildings of varying ages, it is no longer able to meet our operational requirements.
“With regret, we are proposing the closure of this location with a view to consolidating operations within our newer warehouse facilities nearby.”
Lidl explained that its focus will now be to support colleagues impacted by the closure, proposing to offer roles at nearby sites, such as its Wednesbury warehouse.
The discounter is also undergoing a wider restructure to ensure its “logistics function is set up as effectively as possible”.
It has proposed the creation of two new management positions “to improve the ratio of managers to team members,” and “allow warehouse leaders to commit more time to individual colleagues, supporting both engagement and performance development”.
The spokesperson added: “A small number of colleagues’ roles will be impacted by this change, but we are inviting them to apply for the new positions created and are supporting them through this consultation.”
