WH Smith: Edinburgh sites under threat as business plans to cut up to 1,500 jobs

The retailer, with 15 stores in Edinburgh, said it is starting to consult with staff over plans that could see as many as 1,500 of them losing their roles.

WH Smith is planning to cut up to 1,500 jobs as bosses said its recovery from the Covid-19 lockdown has been "slow".

The retailer, with 15 stores in Edinburgh, said it is starting to consult with staff over plans that could see as many as 1,500 of them losing their roles.

The company said it needed to reduce costs as its shops in airports and train stations are hit by low passenger numbers and its high street stores also suffer from low footfall.

Job losses expected at WH Smith

The company said just over half of its UK travel shops have reopened and that 246 of its largest sites have started trading again.

All of its 575 high-street stores have opened, the business said, but footfall is strongly down compared to last year.

Revenue was 57% lower last month compared to July 2019, even as sites started to welcome customers back, with most of this loss coming from the travel arm.

"We now need to take further action to reduce costs across our businesses," said chief executive Carl Cowling.

"I regret that this will have an impact on a significant number of colleagues whose roles will be affected by these necessary actions and we will do everything we can to support them at this challenging time."

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