What: Globus’s decision to cut nearly 50 head office jobs and transfer central functions to Central Group’s Milan headquarters reflects the ongoing pressure for cost reduction and operational efficiency in European department stores.

Why it is important: The centralisation of key functions and workforce reductions reflects a broader industry trend toward operational efficiency, group-level synergies, and digital transformation.

Globus is implementing a significant restructuring, eliminating nearly 50 head office positions and shifting core functions such as purchasing, marketing, finance, and IT to Central Group’s Milan headquarters. While the company’s entrepreneurial and strategic leadership remains in Switzerland, this move is aimed at achieving structural and sustainable cost reductions amid persistent financial pressures. The decision comes as Globus continues to project losses for 2025, despite improvements in sales and margins, and follows earlier signals from the board about the need to streamline operations. Notably, jobs in stores and logistics centres are being preserved, underscoring a focus on protecting customer-facing operations while consolidating back-office roles. This centralisation mirrors a broader trend among European department stores, where legacy retailers are responding to margin pressures, digital transformation, and new ownership structures by seeking group-level synergies and operational agility. As the sector continues to evolve, the ability to balance cost control with brand integrity and customer experience will be critical for long-term success.

IADS Notes: Globus’s decision to cut nearly 50 head office jobs and transfer central functions to Central Group’s Milan headquarters is emblematic of the broader restructuring wave sweeping European department stores in 2025–2026. As detailed by Le Temps in October 2025, Globus has faced mounting financial pressures, unresolved debt, and high real estate costs since Central Group’s full takeover following the collapse of Signa. The retailer’s shift from a premium positioning to aggressive discounting and thematic sales reflects a sector-wide move toward more margin-aware promotional strategies, but risks eroding brand equity. This centralisation of purchasing, marketing, finance, and IT functions mirrors similar cost-reduction and operational efficiency measures seen at De Bijenkorf, which announced a new round of job cuts and reorganisation in January 2026 (Retail Detail). Across the sector, as seen with LuisaViaRoma and Saks Global, legacy retailers are consolidating operations, streamlining teams, and prioritising core markets in response to persistent margin pressures and evolving consumer expectations. The protection of store and logistics centre jobs at Globus underscores a focus on safeguarding frontline operations and customer experience, while the reduction of support roles highlights the growing importance of group-level synergies and digital transformation. Collectively, these developments illustrate the urgent need for European department stores to balance cost control, operational agility, and brand integrity as they navigate ongoing financial and market headwinds.

Globus to announce further layoffs