SSP Group to possibly cut up to 5,000 jobs across UK outlets, head office
The firm is struggling with the reduction in passenger travel.
Up to 5,000 jobs could be cut across SSP Group’s UK outlets and head office, the company said in an update.
The firm, which owns the Upper Crust bakery brand, Caffè Ritazza chain, deli operator Camden Food Co. and luxury bar chain Cabin, revealed that global sales in April and May were 95% below the previous year's.
"If the pace of the recovery continues at the current level, this could lead to up to c. 5,000 roles becoming redundant from within the head office and UK operations,” SSP Group chief executive Simon Smith said.
SSP operates some 580 food and drink outlets across the UK, located mostly at railway stations and airports. However, fewer than 10 are currently open.
The company also expects only one-fifth of its UK stores to be open by the autumn.
Currently, SSP employs around 39,000 staff worldwide across 2,800 outlets. Last month, it said it had suffered "extremely low sales" after the coronavirus pandemic forced it to shut branches.
"Covid-19 continues to have an unprecedented impact on the travel industry and on SSP's businesses in all geographies,” Smith added. "We are beginning to see early signs of recovery in some parts of the world and are starting to open units as passenger demand picks up. However, in the UK the pace of the recovery continues to be slow.”
