![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0_WhatsApp-Image-2026-03-05-at-131731.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Very Group confirmed a \u2018strategic change\u2019 to its customer care departments in Speke and Bolton<\/p>\n
16:32, 05 Mar 2026Updated 17:27, 05 Mar 2026<\/p>\n
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The Very Group HQ at Skyways House in Speke (Image: Colin Lane)<\/p>\n
Workers in Liverpool said they are “devastated” after a major retailer confirmed hundreds of jobs will be moving out of the UK, the ECHO understands. The news will impact people across the region, who were given the news earlier this week (March 2), many of whom have worked at the company for several years.<\/p>\n
The jobs<\/a> update came from The Very Group<\/a>, a multi-brand online retailer, which was formed from a 2005 merger between Littlewoods and Shop Direct<\/a>, before being taken over by American investment group Carlyle in 2025. The transfer will affect staff at Very’s offices in Speke<\/a> and Bolton.<\/p>\n The Liverpool ECHO<\/a> spoke to people currently working for Very’s customer care team, both of whom wished to remain anonymous. They told us a video message was distributed to staff on Monday (March 2), showing FS CEO Nick McBrien confirming changes to Very’s customer care operations.<\/p>\n In a follow up FAQ document, also seen by the ECHO<\/a>, the company wrote: “We’ll be transferring the majority of financial services customer care work currently carried out by our teams in Skyways Hub and Bolton to a new strategic partner called TP, from May 1 2026.<\/p>\n “530 colleagues will transfer to TP under TUPE regulations, and some operational roles will remain within the business.”<\/p>\n The document also stated: “TP has told us that they plan to resource the Very account from other offshore locations which we expect to happen by the end of October 2026.<\/p>\n “When that change happens, TP has committed to redeploying the majority of transferring colleagues to other UK-based accounts doing similar work, fully remotely from home. This will be managed by TP after the transfer on May 1.”<\/p>\n The ECHO<\/a> understands current staff members will be transferred to a company called Teleperformance (TP), a French multinational outsourcing company, and maintain their roles for Very. However, after October, workers will be reassigned to other jobs within UK-based businesses, when the customer care roles for Very will be moved abroad.<\/p>\n The Very Group HQ at Skyways House in Speke (Image: Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n The Very workers we spoke to fear the transfer process will result in them taking on roles they have no experience in, for companies they have no knowledge of, and with potentially unsuitable and unwanted working conditions<\/p>\n One staff member, who has worked at Very for several decades, told the ECHO<\/a>: \u201cWe\u2019ve been told we\u2019ll continue working on Very Littlewoods until October. Then we\u2019ll be transferred to operations within Teleperformance\u201d.<\/p>\n Addressing their feelings about eventually leaving Very, the worker said they fear working somewhere else, afraid if the new role is unsuitable, they will be forced to leave.<\/p>\n They added: \u201c[Effectively, it feels like] we\u2019re being made redundant potentially, without the pay-off. There\u2019s been no consultation with USDAW [Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers], nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n USDAW and Very confirmed both organisations have been ‘working closely’ together on the jobs transfer. The ECHO<\/a> asked USDAW and Very how long that process had been underway before the announcement was made on March 2.<\/p>\n The staff member continued: \u201cThe amount of long standing staff here – they moved from Crosby<\/a>, to Aintree<\/a>, to Speke – it\u2019s 20, 30, 40 years service for the majority of people, so to be treated like this, it\u2019s disgraceful.<\/p>\n \u201cJohn Moores would be turning in his grave. Our roles will still exist but it’s cheaper to send it overseas and then find odd jobs for the rest of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Adding: \u201cNobody was aware of it until Monday when we were told out of the blue. Everyone\u2019s upset. It’s all really uncertain.<\/p>\n \u201cNew roles will be fully remote, the training will be fully remote. That\u2019s concerning at our age.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0_Skyways-HouseThe-Very-GroupLittlewoodsSpeke-RoadSpekeLiverpool.jpg\")
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