Marketing team faces axe as Woolworths cuts jobs

Woolworths has axed its four-strong marketing department as administrators to the collapsed variety retailer battle to find a buyer.

Woolworths has axed its† four-strong marketing department as administrators to the collapsed variety retailer battle to find a buyer.

Marketing and brand director Tony Holdway loses his post after working at the retailer since 2005, when he was poached from Mothercare (MW November 10, 2005).

The move comes as the chain’s 30,000 staff are consulted over redundancies.

The departure of the marketing team marks the end of the advertising campaign featuring characters Wooly and Worth, which were created by Woolworths’ former† advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty.

Bargain hunters have been flocking to the beleaguered chain since its closing down sale started at the end of last week. Woolworths experienced its busiest single day of trading on the first day of its sale, according to administrator Deloitte.

Talks with potential buyers for individual stores, including supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and budget retailer Poundland are thought to be underway.† It is not clear when a conclusion will be reached.

Deloitte has also an≠nounced that 700 jobs will go at Woolworths’ entertainment distribution arm, Entertainment UK, after it “scaled down” efforts to find a buyer.

The cuts were made at EUK’s head office and distribution centres, but it is not year clear which roles have been affected. Its customers included Zavvi, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, in addition to Woolworths.

Zavvi has been forced to deny press reports that it had brought in the administrators, although it refused to deny that Ernst & Young is looking at “restructuring” options. The company is one of EUK’s biggest creditors and it has been left without key stock after the retailer’s collapse.