The Co-op Group is to axe around 400 jobs as the retail and funeral firm blamed tough trading conditions amid "rising inflation".
The company said none of its customer-facing roles in food stores or funeral homes will be impacted by the shake-up.
It is understood that the cuts will predominantly affect workers at its Manchester headquarters.
Around 4,000 support staff are employed by the Co-op Group, as part of a total workforce of 63,000 people.
In April, new chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq revealed that the firm's annual profits were slashed in half following supply chain disruption and higher costs.
The group said on Friday that it has had to bring forward changes which were originally proposed for next year due to the fragile economic backdrop.
A spokesman for the Co-op said: "At our last set of annual results, we shared that as part of our strategy, making our Co-op more efficient and cost-effective was a priority.
"The tough trading environment, including rising inflation, means we have taken the difficult decision to bring forward some of the changes we had planned for 2023.
"These changes, designed to simplify our approach to business, will sadly mean a number of colleagues in central functions will leave the business.
"We make these changes with a heavy heart, but it is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our Co-op and for all of our members."
UK consumer confidence at record low
UK consumer confidence has remained stuck at a record low this month, with pollster GfK describing the cost-of-living crisis as a “red-hot issue” for households.
GfK’s consumer confidence index remains at -41, unchanged from June and the joint-lowest since comparable records began in 1974.
Wood gets new head on board in ops unit
ENGINEERING business Wood has announced a new boardroom appointment.
The Aberdeen-based company, which employs 40,000 people in more than 60 countries, said Craig Shanaghey was joining its operations business unit as executive president.
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