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Nearly 400 jobs will be created at a call centre in Didsbury as retailer John Lewis announces that it will move administration roles from its stores as the trend to online shopping continues.

The move will however affect about 773 staff with the threat of  redundancy but they would be able to apply for the new posts. In total at the end of the process about 387 roles will go.

The changes will affect 32 of its 48 stores.

The proposals come as the John Lewis Partnership, owners of both the John Lewis and Waitrose brand says it is accelerating its strategy to adapt to changing customer needs against a backdrop of structural changes in the retail industry.

This will mean a period of change, investment and innovation for the business says the Company

Dino Rocos, Operations Director at John Lewis, said: ‘Our Partners are passionate about offering the very best customer service and these proposals will allow us to modernise our business as it adapts to the changing needs of our customers and the role that shops play in their lives.

‘The proposed new structure will allow us to harness Partners’ knowledge and skills, giving them more scope to be in the right place at the right time to deliver great service to our customers when and where it’s needed. We understand that for some this will mean a period of change, and we are working with affected Partners over the consultation period to give opportunities for redeployment in new roles wherever possible.’

The Company said last month it expected staff bonuses to be “significantly lower” than last year because of the challenging outlook for retail.

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