Topshop owner and Harrods cut 1,200 jobs on grim day for retailers

Topshop owner and Harrods cut 1,200 jobs on grim day for retailers

Luxury department store Harrods will axe 672 jobs, following similar cuts by Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group and the owner of Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza.

Harrods blamed the coronavirus pandemic, which kept its flagship branch in central London closed for three months during the UK lockdown.

The business, owned by the Qatar Investment Authority, told staff it needed to cut up to 14% of its 4,800 workforce, adding yet more losses to the already grim total announced by major brands this past week.





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Chief executive Michael Ward warned drastic improvement in external conditions would be needed for Harrods to recover and grow again.



He added: "The necessary social distancing requirements to protect employees and customers is having a huge impact on our ability to trade, while the devastation in international travel has meant we have lost key customers coming to our store."

Also on Wednesday, SSP Group, the owner of Upper Crust and Caffe Ritazza, confirmed plans to cut up to 5,000 jobs and Sir Philip Green's Dorothy Perkins-to-Topshop empire said it would lose 500 jobs, also blaming damage inflicted on the business by the coronavirus crisis.

Arcadia Group said the