Shoe retailer Clarks has said it plans to cut 900 office jobs as part of a major shake-up.
The 195-year-old British firm said it has announced 160 redundancies globally on Thursday, including 108 job losses at its headquarters in Street, Somerset.
The retailer said it also plans to create 200 new roles, with around 700 employees in total leaving the business over the next 18 months.
Clarks announced its long-term "made to last" strategy this morning.
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It is "designed to ensure that Clarks has a sustainable and successful future, keeping it in step with changes in how consumers around the world choose and buy their shoes".
Giorgio Presca, chief executive, said: “To ignite our emotional connection with consumers, we have organised Clarks’ brand portfolio across three distinct business units that each represent a unique segment of the shoe market – Clarks Originals, Clarks, Collection and Cloudsteppers by Clarks.”
Mr Presca confirmed that Clarks is now concentrating on expanding the use of digital and social channels to connect with consumers as part of its long-term strategy. “With two centuries of change and adaptation behind us, Clarks has proved itself to be one of the most resilient brands in the world, with our theme ‘Then, Now, Always’.”
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In a separate move in March to respond to the impact of Covid-19 health risks, Clarks announced the temporary closure of many of its stores around the world to protect its staff and customers.
Since then the company has begun to reopen in China and in some markets in Europe and is closely following guidance from the governments and health authorities in the UK, US and elsewhere, and is taking appropriate measures to reopen when it is right and safe to do so.
It said that to prudently address the short-term liquidity needs caused by the Covid-19 crisis, the Clarks leadership team has also been reviewing funding options with selected advisors to confidently position the business to deliver its strategy and enable future growth.
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