Wed, 12 Nov 2025

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 AI will slash headcount by two-thirds - retail boss

Buy It Direct boss Nick Glynne said increased taxes on business in the UK had sped up the process.

* Buy It Direct's boss Nick Glynne predicts that automation and AI will cut their workforce by two-thirds within three years.
* This would mean around 500 jobs being lost in the UK, out of a total of over 800 staff.
* The company is accelerating its investment in automation to cope with increased costs due to government tax changes.
* The boss states that the future for employing UK people is "very bleak" and that they will have to rely more on overseas staff.
* HM Treasury defends the government's tax decisions, saying they are pro-business and have helped deliver on priorities such as investing in the NHS.
* This comes at a time of increasing concern about jobs being lost to AI, with Amazon announcing 14,000 job cuts last month.
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