Co-op sheds 3,000 jobs and agency after non-food sale

Malcolm MacAulay, head of non-food retail operations and advertising for Co-operative Retail Services (CRS), is one of nearly 3,000 Co-op employees facing redundancy following the sale of the company’s non-food division.

J Walter Thompson Manchester, the agency which handles the CRS non-food account, worth 3.1m last year, will lose the business following the overhaul.

The sale of the CRS-owned chains Homeworld and Living for 150m to property developers follows a decision by the board to close down its non-food interests and concentrate on convenience stores and funerals.

Three marketing positions within non-food – advertising manager, marketing manager and marketing assistant – will also go in the shake-up which was announced this week.

CRS chairman, Peter Rowbotham, who appointed chief executive Andy Meehan to over-see a review of the business which led to the sale, has stepped down from his post following the announcement.

He says: “My decision draws a line under the recent upheavals.”

MacAulay, whose position is one of 2,984 jobs under threat at CRS, is joined by Brent Wilkinson, head of merchandising and buying, on the redundancy list. Together the two ran CRS’ non-food business, reporting direct to Meehan.

Recommended

Digets

Marketing Week

Scottish Courage has launched the latest instalment in its ‘Honorary Australians’ campaign for Foster’s lager. Developed by M&C Saatchi, the new 40-second TV ad breaks on May 1 and is set at a Brazilian carnival. A barman chats up an exotic dancer and as the pair watch fireworks together, the dancer unfastens her top to […]

Value focused strategy is key to brand growth

Marketing Week

Sometimes the most basic marketing questions, turn out to be the most difficult to answer. For example, if you were asked how your day-to-day marketing activities benefit consumers, would you be able to answer in a detailed and confident way? In what way, for instance, did the latest ad campaign improve consumers’ lives? How valuable […]

Decaux makes a global power play

Marketing Week

Revenge must taste particularly sweet for French outdoor company JC Decaux this week. Almost exactly a year since it was beaten by arch-rival Clear Channel to the trophy of British poster company, the More Group, Decaux has triumphed over this group and three other US rivals in the 625m auction to buy Vivendi’s poster and […]