A global restructuring plan announced by the Swedish furniture retailer IKEA could mean as many as 120 job losses here in Belgium. Most of the job losses will be at the company’s Belgian HQ in Zaventem (Flemish Brabant) with the Human Resources Department being especially badly hit.
Meanwhile, IKEA’s Belgian management has started talks with the unions in an effort to “limit the potential impact as much as possible”.
Ingka Group, a holding that runs most of IKEA’s stores wants to thoroughly reorganise its operation. It wants stores to become “even more accessible and affordable”. It wants to put more emphasis on e-commerce and stores in city centres.
The plan means that between 100 and 120 jobs are under threat at the company’s Belgian HQ in Zaventem and at its HR Department. Although exact figures are not yet available around 7,500 jobs are under threat worldwide. IKEA employs a total of 160,000 people, 4,300 of whom in Belgium.
