Boots to cut 4,000 jobs as John Lewis to shut eight stores, putting 1,300 jobs at risk – business live

Grim day in UK retail as Boots announces plans to cut 4,000 jobs and John Lewis Partnership shuts eight storesLatest: Boots Opticians stores to close amid jobs cutsJohn Lewis won’t reopen eight storesMPs: It’s terrible newsBirmingham, Watford, Croydon, Newbury, Swindon and Tamworth to permanently closeTravel hubs at Heathrow and St Pancras won’t reopen either 2.50pm BST Lucy Powell MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers, says retailers such as John Lewis and Boots need more targeted support from the government: “This is deeply worrying news for staff at John Lewis and Boots and the travel hubs and town centres these stores are in. These announcements underline the dangers facing our high street, as many businesses struggle to survive through the Covid-19 crisis and the necessary public health measures which limit capacity and demand. “The Chancellor’s statement was a missed opportunity to protect jobs with properly targeted support for the businesses and people that need it. 2.42pm BST West Midlands mayor Andy Street, the former managing director of John Lewis, says the company is wrong to shut the Birmingham department store (which he opened five years ago).Street says John Lewis’s failure to make a success of the store is “extremely disappointing”. At this stage the closure is only a proposal, and one I believe risks being a terrible mistake. Therefore I will be making the case for why the company should not give up this tremendous opportunity in Birmingham.The proposed closure of Birmingham’s John Lewis store risks being a dreadful mistake. My reaction to this morning’s deeply disappointing news: pic.twitter.com/JWLhPHBafw Continue reading…
Via: Boots to cut 4,000 jobs as John Lewis to shut eight stores, putting 1,300 jobs at risk – business live