Hundred workers axed as Cazoo closes preparation centre in Worcester

8:00 am, June 11, 2022

Around 100 people are losing their jobs after Cazoo said it was closing a preparation centre in Worcester.

The news follows the online used car disruptor’s announcement earlier this week that it would be embarking on a massive cost-cutting exercise as it seeks to save £200m over the next 18 months.

Cazoo, which employs some 4,000 people in the UK and 5,000 worldwide, said it would be shedding 750 jobs as part of that plan, with two of its 10 preparation centres being closed.

It’s now been revealed that the centre in Church Lane, Norton, which was acquired by Cazoo last September in its £70m takeover of SMH Fleet Solutions, is one of them.

According to the Ledbury Reporter, staff were told of the decision on Tuesday (Jun 7). They are said to have been put on 30 days’ notice.

It quoted an unnamed employee as saying that when Cazoo took over SMH Fleet Solutions, they were told their jobs were safe.

The newspaper quoted a Cazoo spokesperson as saying: ‘Yes, unfortunately, we plan to close this site as part of our revised business plan in the current economic climate. Approximately 100 people will be impacted by this.

‘We no longer currently require the capacity of all 10 vehicle preparation sites we have in the UK that we inherited when we acquired certain businesses, so have chosen to close two of them.’

It’s not known as yet which other preparation centre will be shut.

Image: Cazoo