Sobeys to Eliminate 800 Office Jobs

Canadian food retailer Sobeys will cut about 800 office jobs across Canada, part of a project launched by its parent company to simplify organizational structure, reduce costs and move past struggles in the wake of the integration of Canada Safeway in 2013.

Parent company Empire Co., which is executing the Project Sunrise three-year transformation, owns and operates Sobeys and Safeway stores in western Canada, as wee as the FreshCo discount banner.

“The future success of Sobeys, and our continued service to over 900 communities across the country, depends on our steadfast commitment to transform our business,” said Empire President and CEO Michael Medline, who joined the Stellarton, Nova Scotia-based company earlier this year.

Medline has been working to turn the ailing business around, and the company saw signs of improvement in its 2018 Q1 financial results, which were released in September.

Read the full story from Progressive Grocer’s sister brand, Canadian Grocer.