LONDON (Reuters) – The owner of the discount chains Pepco, Poundland and Dealz, Pepco Group, plans to create about 13,000 net new jobs across Europe over the next three years as it aggressively opens new stores, its boss told Reuters.
Chief Executive Andy Bond said the majority of the new jobs would be in continental Europe, as it bets that shoppers will flock to cheaper stores following the devastation of the pandemic.
While many European retailers have shifted operations online, shut stores and cut jobs to survive COVID-19, Pepco is doing the opposite.
“Unlike many bricks and mortar retailers which are all about stories of ‘haven’t we done a good job where we’re staying alive’, we’re very confident about our growth,” he said.
(Reporting by James Davey, editing by Kate Holton/Guy Faulconbridge)