Woolworths NZ to Close Stores, Restructure Staff in Major Cost-Cutting Move

As part of the changes, staff will now ‘collaborate together on tasks’ rather than working separately in departments.
Woolworths NZ to Close Stores, Restructure Staff in Major Cost-Cutting Move
A woman walks past the entrance to the Woolworths Metro supermarket in North Strathfield in Sydney, Australia on Aug. 17, 2020. Brook Mitchell/Getty Images
Rex Widerstrom
Updated:

Woolworths New Zealand is overhauling its supermarket operations, closing two Auckland supermarkets and restructuring in-store roles in a move the company says will boost efficiency, but which the union says will come at the expense of thousands of experienced workers.

Under the changes, departments like bakery and butchery will be disestablished, and staff will instead “collaborate together on tasks” rather than being assigned to different departments.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.