Staff at Greggs in East Kilbride are facing an uncertain future after the bakery giants announced they were to cut more than 800 jobs.
The announcement came as the company struggles to get to grips with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Chief executive Roger Whiteside was quoted as saying “recent weeks have been particularly difficult” for the business across the whole of the UK.
The company has confirmed 820 redundancies following a consultation, but said “several counter proposals” had been accepted which “have helped save jobs”.
Greggs has five stores in East Kilbride, including a new store at Kingsgate Retail Park. The other four are in the Village, Calderwood Square, The Plaza and EK, East Kilbride.
Mr Whiteside added: “COVID trading conditions have forced this action onto our business and we are all very saddened by the need to part company with around 820 friends and colleagues, many of whom have worked with us for many years.
“Whilst we are sad to see this number of people leave us, we are grateful to our colleagues in our shops who have been prepared to accept a reduction in their contract hours to minimise the need for further redundancies.”
The chief executive said the business’s priority must be to enable them to “transition and settle” into its revised structure.
He added: “At lockdown levels of sales, even after all of the mitigating action that we have taken, Greggs will not be profitable as a business and there can be no room for complacency.
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“Christmas this year will be unlike any other. Many customers will move their gift shopping online and others may choose to leave it late hoping for the opportunity to go shopping again in December.
“We will need to be quick to react as new customer footfall patterns emerge and therefore plan to keep things as simple as possible whilst offering a fast and friendly service in a safe environment. “
Greggs said it would concentrate on its Christmas offering, as well as enhancing its click and collect service and opening new stores.
