Arcadia to cut 170 head office jobs after averting collapse
The jobs cuts are in addition to 1,000 earmarked alongside 50 stores that will close as part of the chain's restructure plan
Friday 14 June 2019 14:01, UK
Arcadia Group is to cut 170 jobs at its London headquarters after Sir Phillip Green's high street retail empire averted collapse.
The jobs will be cut in addition to the 1,000 already earmarked to be lost, alongside the closure of 48 out of 566 trading outlets agreed under Arcadia's so-called company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) and wider restructuring plans.
The chain employs around 18,000 staff across the UK and Ireland.
Arcadia, whose brands include Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Burton, managed to secure the 75% support of creditors and landlords required to back its restructure plans this week, in a series of rescue deal votes.
Landlords will be handed 20% of the company, as part of the plan.
Arcadia said that following the CVA vote, the group was proposing to make "some structural changes in order to support and deliver the turnaround plan".
It said in a statement: "As a result of this, some roles across our various head offices are at risk of redundancy.
"We will be supporting those colleagues throughout this process and will do all we can to redeploy those at risk in to suitable roles throughout the group."
The vote to pass Arcadia's plan was delayed by a week, as landlords held out for better terms on the rent cuts they were also being asked to approve at 194 of its sites.
Arcadia's Sir Philip said of the vote result: "From a personal point of view, even if you score in the 95th minute, a win is still a win."