Global exporter Burberry to open Leeds office and relocate 300 jobs

9 May 2017

Luxury fashion brand Burberry, a global exporter, is to relocate 300 jobs to Leeds city centre from its London headquarters in a move that reinforces its commitment to Yorkshire.

The luxury clothes and goods manufacturer, which exports worldwide, plans to open the Leeds office by October, creating a second hub for the international business alongside its London HQ.

The new Leeds office, to be called the Burberry Business Services Centre, will be an operational base for the company’s customer services, finance, procurement and human resources teams, as well as for call centre and IT staff.

Leeds – the home of Burberry’s well-known trench coat - was selected for the new base, ahead of several competing sites in the UK and overseas, due to its transport links, skilled workforce and reputation as a thriving business centre.

Consultations about moving jobs to Leeds will start immediately. Although no precise details are available on the location of the new office, it is understood to be fairly near Leeds Railway Station. The move is expected to continue into 2018.

The jobs are being relocated as part of Burberry’s strategy to make operating cuts of around £100m. Moving from its base in Westminster in the capital, to the more cost-effective Leeds city centre, will contribute to this.

The relocation has been widely welcomed by Leeds city and business leaders. Chamber International director, Tim Bailey, says: “ This is exciting news and we look forward to welcoming an international-known global brand to Yorkshire.”

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