Rash decision making by board during COVID19 has destroyed Nisbets far more than COVID! - Manager Nisbets Employee Review

1.0
5 Aug 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Staff discount that is it really

Cons

Rash decision making during the pandemic has resulted in 500+ redundancies across the business. Very little strategic thinking sat behind the restructure and the furlough scheme is being used to fund those 500+ redundancies. Massive over spending on Level 3 Heads of Roles, unnecessary projects, refurbishment of offices and ridiculously high staff expenses has led over time to the massive headcount reduction under the disguise of COVID. What was a great business is now a business that has stepped back in time, has a totally disengaged workforce and those that have secured a role are just there until they can secure a new job elsewhere. Panic at the start of COVID by the ELT, the owner and the Vice Chairman resulted in crazy decision making that has led to people losing their lively hood. There is no loyalty from those that are staying. This isn’t an organisation that values or recognises the effort and hard work of their current and previous staff and it isn’t an organisation that anyone who is good at what they do should join.

Explore other reviews about Nisbets

2.0
10 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Once you are squarely through the door, it's a relatively easy, steady, decently paid job that doesn't (in theory) demand too much from you. Customers, on the whole, are pleasant and want to work with you. Feedback from management is useful, if a little ineffective.

Cons

To keep it short, the company is terrified of downtime. The minute a store or department doesn't hit a target all hell breaks loose and middle management scrambles to find out why. Everyone says they're aware we're reliant on the volatile industry of hospitality but can't deal with the idea that if hospitality struggles, so will we - and there is very little we can do to change that. The company is restructured seemingly every six months to try and 'save money' which usually ends up in redundancies, usually in the places that need the staff most because they aren't the glamorous, customer-facing departments. It seems to be shareholders that have their hands on the wheel, yet they have no knowledge of the boots-on-the-ground situation and also they're blindfolded. Delivery times have nosedived through a combination of warehouse and couriers being woefully inept, and accountability seems to be taking its leave as well. This leaves store staff being hounded by customers for orders that arrive in dribs and drabs, arrive late, or haven't arrived at all which is demonstrably hurting long term sales because people are losing trust is Nisbets' reliability. Lots of conversations are being had, but seemingly very little action to show for it. The IT systems are out of date and failing, with support for these issues laughably thin. The acquisition was meant to be a turning point for the company, I just didn't realise it would be a turn for the worse.

1
4.0
8 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great people, dynamic environment, opportunity to progress

Cons

Unknown what it will be like after the acquisition

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