Ikea starts worldwide personnel cuts – 33 jobs under threat in Finland
Photo: Ikea
Furniture giant Ikea has announced to start cooperation negotiations as it is shifting its focus towards digital services. The planned job cuts will affect a maximum of 33 employees in Finland.
Ikea is shifting its focus towards digital services, online shops and city centre stores and therefore planning to cut 7,500 jobs worldwide. In Finland, the estimated need is to cut 33 jobs. Marcus Krogell, chief shop steward of Ikea Finland, says that the invitation to cooperation negotiations came as a surprise to the personnel.
”The cooperation negotiations in Finland will affect Espoo. The cuts will be targeted to support services, not the store assistants”, Krogell says.
”The organisational changes will be carried out within two years. It’s a long process”, Krogell adds.
The cooperation negotiations in Finland will affect logistics, human resources, facility management and the unit’s HR functions of the Espoo service office.
According to the company, the aim is to remove organizational overlaps. The existing stores will also be refurbished to reach the customers better across Finland.
Timo Hulmi, Country Manager of Ikea Finland says that, in addition to digitalisation and urbanisation, the quick changes in furniture business are behind the retailer’s plans. Buying furniture online is growing rapidly. According to the company’s press release the online purchases of Ikea customers have nearly tripled within the last five years.
According to Hulmi, new jobs will be created in the digital chain whereas some of the present posts will be cut.
”We want to create jobs to meet the customer.”