Hopes of new jobs dashed

JOBHUNTERS have been left disappointed after Shop Direct announced it will not be taking on more staff in Oldham.

The Chronicle revealed on Friday that the home-shopping group is to axe 1,500 jobs in Sunderland, Burnley and Newtown in Mid Wales — but will create 350 new roles at its remaining sites.

The company, formerly known as Littlewoods Home Shopping, has a large distribution centre in Linney Lane, Shaw, and a returns centre at Raven Mill, Chadderton.

However,, while details have yet to be agreed, the firm has now ruled out taking on extra staff at Shaw or Chadderton.

A spokeswoman said: “We can’t say anything at this stage as we have just entered a consultation period with the unions. That will define how many jobs we are able to create and where they will go.”

But she added: “The roles will be created in remaining contact centres in Worcester, Preston, Bolton and Liverpool.”

The company employs around 10,000 staff, including up to 1,250 in Shaw, and has sales of more than £1.6 billion.

The group includes the former catalogue shopping giants of Littlewoods, Great Universal and Kays as well as Additions Direct, Marshall Ward and Choice.

It says the shake-up is needed as customers have switched from telephones to the internet to place orders — leaving the firm with more space in its contact centres than it needs to handle the declining call volumes.

With total sales growing by 6 per cent and online sales by 19 per cent, the firm looks set to exceed its target of 70 per cent of its sales online by 2010-11.

Unions are opposing the closures and fighting to save jobs.