Borders to scrap 50 managerial posts

Book and music retailer Borders UK is to make around 50 managerial redundancies following a comprehensive review of the business.

Most of the job cuts will be in stores, affecting departmental managers and supervisors rather than general managers.

The review, carried out by the company’s directors, found that the retailer needed to put more emphasis on customer service.

A spokeswoman said: “There will be more frontline booksellers on the shopfloors and fewer managers. Stores will be more lightly managed.”

The retailer will create 100 additional bookseller posts, most of which will be part-time, resulting in a more flexible workforce. It is expected that, overall, the same number of hours will be worked in-store.

Four or five new shops are set to open in the near future and it is thought that some of those affected will choose to move to these.

Borders chief executive David Roche said: “The changes we are making will permit us to be more flexible in reacting to changing trading conditions.”

Around half a dozen jobs are expected to go at the group’s head office, but three or four new positions will also be created. A planning manager, sidelines buyer and assistant periodicals buyer are expected to be recruited.

Retail week