'Reviewing operations' | HR staff at risk as Ocado eyes 1,000 job cuts

HR staff are among those at risk of job losses at online grocery giant Ocado. The Sunday Times reported that an estimated 1,000 jobs - or around 5% of its total workforce - will be axed by the business as part of a cost-cutting drive following a difficult year, financially.

Redundancies are expected at Ocado's UK head office, with departments at risk including back‑office roles such as HR, legal and finance, a source told the Sunday Times. The business currently employs around 20,000 people and is looking to reduce its headcount in a bid to save millions of pounds. 

Although best known for its shopping deliveries to UK homes, the company is also a heavy hitter in the tech world, pioneering use of robots in its warehouses, a technology it offers to businesses worldwide.

However, Ocado has suffered big blows in recent months, including a move by Sobeys - a supermarket operator in Canada and a customer of Ocado - to close its robot-powered warehouse in Calgary. U.S. grocer Kroger, Ocado's largest customer, also announced it was shutting three automated warehouses.