More grim news for NW jobs as Home Retail cuts back

ANOTHER 200 jobs are to be lost at Manchester’s giant Trafford Park industrial area.

Today’s gloomy news came from Argos and Homebase owner Home Retail group, which is axing 210 posts at a distribution centre near the Trafford Centre.

Yesterday Wincanton, the logistics giant,revealed plans to close base at Trafford Park, with more than 400 redundancies.

Home Retail Group said it would close its facility in Manchester, with work being transferred to Castleford in Yorkshire, as part of a cost cutting programme.

A statement from the company said: “Argos has today announced a proposal to transfer operations from our Trafford Park distribution centre to our Castleford site. The move will allow us to make better use of the Castleford facility, which is owned by the Group.

“The Castleford facility was previously an Argos regional distribution centre, with its operations transferred across the five other regional distribution centres earlier in the year.

“These proposals are intended to reduce the Group’s operating costs and will drive significant business benefits. Home Retail Group is taking this action now to ensure that it is well placed to continue to offer customers the great value, choice and convenience for which it is known.”

The Milton Keynes-based company said it would make “every effort” to minimise the impact of the move on staff.

Peel Holdings, owners of the land where the distribution centre is located, has future plans to build an industrial heritage museum there.