9:00 am, March 17, 2023
Disgruntled employees at Cazoo’s vehicle preparation centre in Westbury have hit out at bosses as the site prepares to close.
Staff are set to say their final goodbyes at an emotional farewell party later today (March 17), when the premises close down for good.
The Gazette and Herald reports that around 50 employees are expected to attend the event, which is being held at the nearby Players Club.
Speaking to the paper, one member of staff said bosses at Cazoo had ‘ruined’ the once profitable Westbury operation.
The troubled online retailer acquired the site following its takeover of Smart Fleet Solutions in February 2021 but is now closing it down just 25 months later.
Around 150 employees have been made redundant at the centre as part of a huge cost cutting exercise by the controversial online disruptor.
One staff member said: ‘The atmosphere is just very sombre. It reminds me of one of those old Westerns with tumbleweed rolling through.
‘People are going round taking pictures of the empty buildings. It is almost surreal and a real shame.’
He added: ‘The area itself is just destitute. All the learner vehicles are being shipped out on transporters.
‘I would just like to say a massive thank you to what was Smart Fleet who obviously gave a lot of people the opportunity. It was an amazing place.’
At last week’s Car Dealer Live conference, a panel of independent dealers described Cazoo as ‘arrogant’ and ‘naive’.
It comes as the outfit continues to slash costs in a bid to claw back some of its eye-watering losses.
Meanwhile, the firm today announced that its annual results for 2022 will be published on March 30.
You can read about the rise and fall of Cazoo here. Car Dealer has approached Cazoo for comment.
