Dixons Carphone says to cut 800 jobs in its UK and Ireland stores

LONDON (Reuters) - British electrical retailer Dixons Carphone said it planned to cut 800 jobs to create a leaner management structure across its stores in the UK and Ireland, adding to the 2,900 roles it said would go back in March.

The company, which has 24,000 employees in the UK and sells mobile phones and tablets as well as white goods, said that it had started consultations with the affected employees.

In mid-March, before the coronavirus pandemic caused Dixons Carphone's main UK market to go into lockdown, the company said it would close all 531 standalone Carphone Warehouse stores and shed 2,900 jobs.

Those closures were aimed at turning around its loss-making mobile phone business, which slumped as customers changed their handsets less regularly.

The company said in its statement on Tuesday that it was committed to its remaining stores, which compliment its growing online offering.

In April, it said strong online sales were making up for around two-thirds of the store sales lost during lockdown.

The latest job losses come as Britain's retail industry battles with the pandemic. Marks & Spencer, health and beauty chain Boots and the upmarket department store Selfridges have in recent weeks announced plans to cut thousands of jobs between them.

(Reporting by Sarah Young, editing by Estelle Shirbon and Kate Holton)