UK DIY News

Retail Job Losses In 2021 Have Passed 37,000

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The Centre for Retail Research has published data on job losses and store closures in the retail sector to the end of August this year.

Table 1: Outcomes for 2021 (to end-August 2021).

Retailing 2021 (to end-August)	Administration	CVAs	Rationalisation	Totals
specific redundancies & rationalisation	NA	NA	3,236	3,236
multiples: stores closed	1,132		428	1,560
multiples: jobs lost`	18,040		13,768	31,808
self-employed/concessions in larger shops	2,482		435	2,917
independent store closures	399		680	1,079
independent job losses	2,280		2,780	5,060
Total Job losses	22,916	NA	14,203	37,199
Total store closures	1,531	NA	428	1,959

* Correct to 31 August 2021, based on our current information. Data collection for Independent store closures and job losses is only partly completed. The information, above, represents data received so far.

The data in table 1, above, shows that total job losses stand at 37,199 and store closures at 1,959. This compares with job losses of 33,223 and store closures of 1,667 at the end of May 2021.

Table 2: Outcomes for 2020 (to 31 December).

Retailing 2020	Administration	CVAs	Rationalisation	Totals
specific redundancies & rationalisation	NA	NA	14,755	14,755
multiples: stores closed	2041	533	2,975	5,549
multiples: jobs lost	53,364	11,496	44,521	109,381
self-employed/concessions in larger shops	8,715	490	8,240	17,445
independent store closures	4,189	-	6,307	10,496
independent job losses	12,286	-	28,697	40,983
Total Job losses	74,365	11,986	96,213	182,564
Total store closures	6,230	533	9,282	16,045

* Correct to 31 December 2020.

Table 2 shows the store closures and job losses experienced by the retail sector in 2020, revealing losses of more than 182,500, along with total store closures of more than 16,000.

Source : Insight DIY Team using data from Centre for Retail Research

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17 September 2021