Hundreds of jobs lost as online car dealer makes sweeping cuts
Several hundred South West employees are facing redundancy after online car firm Cazoo announced plans to close a number of vehicle preparation sites.
Around 150 staff will lose their jobs in Westbury in Wiltshire and another site in Gloucester is also earmarked for closure.
Cazoo has announced it is planning to close a number of its vehicle preparation sites and customer centre facilities after warning of a drop in sales for the year.
Nationally more than 3,000 UK staff are being consulted, with the process due to be completed in March.
Cazoo is expected to sell 40,000-50,000 vehicles this year, compared to 65,000 in 2022.
Founder and former chief executive Alex Chesterman said: “Our new 2023 plan, which includes more modest top line ambitions, ensures that we continue to improve our unit economics, reduces our fixed costs and conserves cash as we make continued progress towards our goal of reaching profitability, without the need to raise further funding over the next 18-24 months.”
Chesterman has stepped down from his role amid a restructuring aimed at keeping the struggling online used car sales company afloat.
The new chief executive is Paul Whitehead, previously chief operating officer, while Chesterman remains chairman of the company he founded in 2018.
Cazoo has struggled to attract new investment that it needed to maintain its previously aggressive growth plan.
As part of the changes Cazoo is reported to be looking at closing 15 of its customer centres across the UK, with centres in Bristol, Birmingham, Chertsey, Lakeside, Manchester, Northampton and Wembley likely to remain open.
According to the Car Dealer website three preparation centres – at Portbury, Cold Meece and Bedford – are set to remain open, with sites in Westbury, Long Bennington, Livingston and Gloucester, earmarked for closure.
