Sainsbury’s restructures marketing

Sainsbury’s Supermarkets is to make up to ten marketers redundant as part of a restructure of its brand marketing function by brand marketing director Jeremy Schwartz.

Schwartz, who joined from Coca-Cola where he was innovation director for Europe and Eurasia (MW August 16, 2002), has restructured his 129-strong team. He has created four divisions in a bid to eliminate duplication and to focus on meeting customer needs.

The restructure follows reports earlier this year that Sainsbury’s was planning to axe up to a quarter of its staff at its headquarters in Holborn in London including up to 25 marketers (MW April 10).

Under the structure, food marketing will be headed by Lesley Chapman and the non-food team will be overseen by Richard Cristofoli. Dominic Rowell will head communications, which includes advertising the chain’s magazine and online services. Schwartz is looking for someone to head the retail team.

The ten marketers affected by the review are understood to have responsibilities that Schwartz claims would be better contracted out to agencies.