Sainsbury to Cut Over 200 Corporate Positions

J Sainsbury, the United Kingdom's No. 3 supermarket chain, said yesterday it intended to eliminate over 5 percent of its 3,000-strong London corporate staff -- more than 200 jobs -- as part of a restructuring plan with the aim of containing costs, according to published reports.

The grocer said it would go from five main business units in its trading division to three: nonfood, grocery and fresh food. As a result, certain overlapping positions would be cut.

The announcement came just 10 days after chief executive Justin King told investors no significant job cuts were planned. The company still says that it will add as many as 5,000 staffers this year through store base expansion. Sainsbury employs 150,000 people across the United Kingdom.