Thomas Cook closes branches and axes 2,500 jobs
A Thomas Cook store
Staff at more than 20 Thomas Cook stores across Kent are braced
for the worst after it was revealed thousands of jobs will be lost
nationwide.
The long-established travel agent has announced the closure of
195 high street stores in the country - leaving nearly 900 still
operating.
Around 2,500 jobs will be lost as the struggling firm admitted
some stores did not "meet performance targets".
It announced a widescale consultation exercise, with a
management shake-up predicted at the largest high street travel
group in the country.
But a spokesman said today it was too early to confirm which of
the 26 stores in Kent, if any, would be hit in the closures.
Travel agencies are spread across the county, with branches
stretching from Faversham and Canterbury to Gravesend, Maidstone,
Herne Bay and Chatham.
Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook UK & Ireland’s CEO, said: "It
is never easy to make decisions that impact directly on our people,
but we also owe it to our customers to shape the business
effectively and ensure that, when they book their holiday with us,
our administrative costs are as low as possible."
06/03/13
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