Ten workers have lost their jobs at Wolverhampton’s flagship Beatties store, the Express & Star can reveal today.
Shocked employees have been told of the redundancies following a review of operations in the latest devastating blow for the famous city store.
House of Fraser announced “minimal” cuts would be made in the shop’s stock handling, operations administration and maintenance dep- artments last month. Today it emerged 10 members of staff have been shed.
The store giant said today a number of other under-threat workers had been offered jobs at other stores following a consultation.
News of the job cuts come as bosses revealed they were preparing to start a £250,000 relaunch of the two Beatties restaurants.
The work will start at the end of April and take around a month to complete.
“It will take place in phases where one restaurant will close for work and then the other,” said a House of Fraser spokeswoman.
Bosses have been accused of ripping the shop apart by loyal supporters and pensioners mourning the imminent loss of the waitress service.
14 Comments
The whole situation is a sorry mess right now and been so badly mis-managed.
It is neither one thing or another and feels in lombo.
Tage and merchandising materials showing House of Fraser yet a sign above the door stating Beatties?!?!
What happened to brand management?!
Smacks of a terrible lack of planning and strategy at the board level.
Mark - You are totally correct.
An unbelievable state of affairs, especially as I remember Beatties being the jewel in the crown of the city once. Beatties seems to be in a mess, the Eye Infirmary has gone - what else for this great city, besides a massive sign on the outskirts stating CITY FOR RENT !!!
It is about time the very quiet MP’s of Wolverhampton stepped in with comments also[actions might be even better] - where are they when you want them or when it matters ?
250,000 of investment? That’s more or less the money saved
by sacking the 10 staff!
And how many more will lose their job because they do not
want to transfer to …let me guess.. London?
Asset stripping and short term profit. Real investment here
would get a good return but they are not going to do it!
And they’re talking about more capacity in Wolvo city centre
retail. Don’t make me laugh!
Beatties = Outdated, outmoded, backward and unfashionable… just like Wolverhampton and its people - gramophone attitude in an MP3 world. You only hate HoF because it’s a modern, young, quality brand. At this rate Wolverhampton could be the new Royston Vassey.
Hagar, grow up, how dare you insult people of wolverhampton. Funny how you read a website of WOLVERHAMPTON’S express and star. Also don’t forget MENSAS headquarters are in WOLVERHAMPTON, thats in the same city as our university. You have a gramophone attitude in a mp3 world.
Many years ago I was hitch-hiking in Hampshire and just outside the village of West Meon I was offered a lift by a local couple.
When I said where I came from they said: “Wolverhampton?” Ahh! Beatties!”
It turned out they would travel up periodically to shop at Beatties because of its reputation for quality and service.
It is hardly surprising to find that a company that has taken over, in somewhat questionable circumstances, is unable to understand the raison d’être of the brand. Quality and service and attention to customer wishes does not sit well with asset stripping, quick profit and a quick escape.
Equally I am not surprised a resident of a neighbouring town which has no identity whatsoever, is unable to grasp the concept. Yes indeed quality and service are old fashioned ideas. Old fashioned ideas which will never date. The only hope for Beatties is a demerger.
At least Wolverhampton people can spell!
Haven’t set foot in the place since House of Frazer took over.
Take me to Wolverhampton then Hagar, it sounds perfect and just up my street !!! I have hundreds of 78’s rpm to play on my old gramophone !!!
BRING BACK THE BEATTIES OF OLD BETTER STAFF BETTER STORE !!!
Hagar the Albion, i take it you have already opened a Fraser Recognition Card? Because there are only three concerns within HOF…
Beauty, Fashion and Finance, incidentally Bauger don’t run HOF… G E Money are the new retailers.
Remember Logans Run? what happened to people over the age of thirty. Lets hope you don’t find yourself on the scrap heap when Fashion no longer favours you and your MP3 becomes a P45.
yeah go hagar the albion, at last someone finally speaking a bit of sense on these pages!! get over it wolverhampton, hof have better stock, better offers and better people working in there, get rid of the old and bring in the new. im all for it!!!!!
time to move on - Wolverhampton is a big ole dinosaur
I THINK HOF SHOULD SELL BEATTIES TO A COMPANY THAT WILL CARRY ON THE NAME AND GET RID OFF BAUGER. I THINK THE STORE HAS LOST ITS TOUCH OFF CLASS ALSO THERE ARE PLANS TO TAKE DOWN THE NAME. VERY SAD… I REALLY WISH J LEWIS HAD BROUGHT OUT BEATTIES INSTEAD.