Value retailer Wilko has put a quarter of its head office staff into consultation, a move that is widely expected to result in job cuts amongst the 170 employees based there.

The company, which rebranded itself from Wilkinson earlier this year, said: “This ongoing programme is essential to maintaining Wilko’s unique place as a modern, national retailer. We have to ensure we have the right people in the right places to keep the business moving forward.

“New technologies, processes and ways of working have led us to identify certain posts which are no longer appropriate to our focus on variety, value, choice, quality and customer service.”