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Asda Shuffles 1,200 Workers: Jobs Move to Derby
21 Jan
Summary
- Asda plans to move 1,200 online delivery workers to new roles.
- Job transfers are linked to George.com brand's projected growth.
- Union criticizes the decision, citing risks to families' livelihoods.
Asda has announced plans to outsource and relocate around 1,200 online delivery workers from depots in Northampton, Staffordshire, and Tyne and Wear. These roles will move to a DHL facility in Derby, beginning in January 2027 over the course of a year. This strategic shift is driven by Asda's ambition for its George.com clothing brand to double in size by 2032, aiming to become the UK's largest clothing retailer by volume.
The distribution sites themselves will continue to operate and supply supermarkets for in-store purchases, with staff in other roles unaffected. Asda's chief supply chain officer, David Lepley, stated the proposal supports George.com's growth. He also confirmed that affected colleagues would be transferred under employment regulations, safeguarding their pay, pension, and length of service.
However, the GMB union has criticized the move, describing it as a risk to "hard-working families and working-class communities" and suggesting it could lead to a wider "carve-up" of the company by its private equity owners. Asda executive chairman Allan Leighton has refuted these claims, calling the suggestion of breaking up the business "categorically untrue."
