Target swings the axe

Target Australia will axe up to 180 jobs at its head office following a decision to relocate from Geelong to Melbourne.

ABC reported that between 130-180 jobs will be cut in line with the release of a statement from Wesfarmers CEO Guy Russo.

“Today, I have spoken with the Target team members at our Geelong store support office regarding Target’s decision to offer the team members in this office and in above store roles the opportunity to express their interest in a voluntary redundancy.

“I have also informed this team that, to ensure Target is profitable and sustainable some hard decisions have had to be made and we will be restructuring the team to support the future success of the business.”

Russo also said that relocating its head office will be critical in turning the business around following the recent investigation that saw Target inflate its earnings to $21 million.

“I informed the team that the Geelong site for the national office is no longer a viable option if we’re to remain competitive and build a profitable business for shareholders, customers and the entire 20,000 team members across our store network.”

At this stage, a new head office location has not been secured and the current site will remain for at least 12 months.