DFS fires 100 in cost-cuts move
Sofa shop DFS is axeing 100 staff as part of its plan to weather the economic storm.
Support staff in warehouses have been most affected by the moves, just the latest cuts as retailers trim costs in the face of falling sales.
Chief operating officer Jon Massey said: "We have been cutting staff in the last few weeks. Any prudent business is looking at costs. It's appropriate in the current climate and it would be surprising if people were not doing it."
The sofa firm employs about 3000 in all. Retail analysts say furniture shops are always among the worst hit during economic downturns.
Robert Clark of Retail Knowledge Bank predicts most shops will shed 5% of their staff in the next 12 months. He tells Retail Week: "There will be a steady stream of laying staff off, mostly done through non-replacement of people who have left."
