Online growth spurs strategic change at Shop Direct

Call centre jobs go as mail orders dwindle and online sales rise

Shop Direct's call centres are being hit by online growth

Some 1,000 jobs will be cut at catalogue retailer Shop Direct Group as the company decided to close one of its call centres due to a decline in orders via telephone.

The company has another six call centres across the UK and said that the decision to close down the facility in Crosby is due to the growth of internet sales and the consequent lower volumes of calls taken by customer service agents.

Additionally, a further cull affecting 150 workers will take place at the company's head office in Liverpool as well as two other sites. Reportedly, 250 of the staff affected will be offered relocation.

Online sales represent around 56 per cent of the revenue at Shop Direct and the retailer anticipates that the channel will account for 70 per cent of sales by 2010-11.

This month, the firm announced it would give a sharper focus to its web operations, starting with an implementation of an e-commerce platform across its multiple brands to improve customer loyalty.