Major high street retailer to close call centre with 150 jobs axed in Scotland

A HIGH street retailer has announced the closure of a call centre with the loss of 150 jobs in Scotland.

Fashion giant H&M is to shut its customer service hub at Waverley Gate in Edinburgh.

The BBC reports workers were given two weeks’ notice of their dismissal, but those entitled to more notice will be paid in lieu.

In August, employees were told they could be at risk of redundancy before the building’s lease expires in 2025.

Consultations were held between September and November this year.

The retailer said job losses had been reduced by staff being offered alternative roles, finding other work or choosing to leave voluntarily.

H&M bosses cited “increased competition, changing customer behaviours and operational costs” for the decision.

A spokesperson for H&M said: “We constantly evaluate how we operate to ensure that we deliver on our goals and contribute to the overall success of the company.

“Having looked into the scope of our customer service set-up, increased competition in the market, our customers changing behaviours and expectations and operational costs, we have made the difficult decision to proceed with the proposed closure of our customer service site in Edinburgh by the end of the year.”

Call centre operations will cease on December 14, while the hub will close in March next year.

It comes as Scotland’s hospitality and retail sectors continue to struggle with both businesses and punters feeling the squeeze from rising costs.

The industry was hammered by closures during the Covid-19 pandemic and was immediately dealt another blow by supply issues and the cost of living crisis.

The high street has seen a whole raft of closures over the past year, and more are coming.

Wilko, Paperchase and The Body Shop collapsed into administration, seeing hundreds of shops close and thousands of staff lose their jobs.

Other retailers have announced vast swatches of closures too, including Boots, which is shuttering 300 stores.