Sainsbury’s is putting around 300 jobs at risk across the supermarket chain and its Argos business amid a restructure of its technology and data teams and head office changes, the firm announced. The changes form part of the supermarket chain’s ongoing Next Level strategy, now entering its third year, aimed at boosting efficiency and sharpening commercial focus.

The restructuring could affect roles across Sainsbury’s and Argos from a combined workforce of roughly 140,000 employees. As part of the revamp, Sainsbury’s is reorganising its technology and data operations, creating one dedicated team for Argos and two separate teams for the supermarket, The Grocer reported.

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “As we gear up for year three of our Next Level plan, we’re strengthening our focus behind both Sainsbury’s and Argos.

“By maximising the power of our data and technology, we’re freeing up our teams to concentrate on what matters most – delivering great food, brilliant service and fantastic value for our customers.”

The retailer is also updating its store leadership structure. Four new regional store director positions dedicated solely to convenience stores will be introduced with one in the north, one in central England, and two in the south.

That round of cuts represented roughly 2% of Sainsbury’s then 148,000-strong workforce and included around 20% of senior management roles, part of a plan to streamline the head office and simplify management structures.

The Next Level strategy, announced in February 2024, is a three-year plan with the aim of achieving £1 billion in cost savings. This plan also focuses on accelerating food growth, enhancing the Nectar loyalty programme, and generating over £1.6 billion in retail free cash flow.

Some changes have included expanding food space in stores by reallocating areas previously used for general merchandise and clothing and rolling out a range improvement programme across convenience stores.