{"id":167461,"date":"2020-09-25T09:23:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T09:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/next-ceo-warns-retail-jobs-have-become-unviable-as-online-shopping-increases\/"},"modified":"2021-08-06T12:07:20","modified_gmt":"2021-08-06T12:07:20","slug":"next-ceo-warns-retail-jobs-have-become-unviable-as-online-shopping-increases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theindustry.fashion\/next-ceo-warns-retail-jobs-have-become-unviable-as-online-shopping-increases\/","title":{"rendered":"Next CEO warns retail jobs have become \u201cunviable\u201d as online shopping increases"},"content":{"rendered":"
Next's <\/a>CEO has warned that retail employment has become \u201cunviable\u201d due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted to a great shift in online shopping.<\/strong><\/p>\n The retailer\u2019s chief executive, Lord Wolfson said thousands of traditional retail jobs are likely to be under threat as customers are increasingly shopping online<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In an interview on BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme, Lord Wolfson said: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to underestimate the difficulty that is going to cause a lot of people who work in retail. I think it\u2019s going to be very uncomfortable for a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe will inevitably, and have already, reduced the number of people working in our shops and I expect that to continue over the coming five or six years as the demand for retail goes down<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut we are taking on people in our call centres; we are training new recruits in our call centres, in our warehousing. Our distribution networks are taking on new employees.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo there are new jobs and, in terms of finding where those opportunities are, the internet provides an amazing and powerful tool to connect employers with employees<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Wolfson said almost 10% of Next\u2019s staff remained on furlough<\/strong> and added \u201cwe don\u2019t think we need\u201d the new scheme.<\/p>\n However, he stressed other sectors will need support from the government, and called on businesses to consider surviving without government support.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cI think it\u2019s important that employers begin to pay a little bit more for the schemes and that employees get a little bit less<\/strong> because otherwise, I think there\u2019s a risk that our economy will just become hooked on it.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments follows after\u00a0Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed a new Jobs Support Scheme aimed at protecting \u201cviable\u201d roles<\/a> as Covid-19 infections continue to rise across the UK.<\/p>\n