DFI workforce faces uncertainty as retailer reportedly plans job cuts

Hong Kong – DFI Retail Group, the operator of Wellcome, Mannings, and 7-Eleven, is reportedly preparing staff layoffs as part of efforts to sustain its business amid rising retail costs.

According to the South China Morning Post, CEO Scott Price informed employees in an internal email that the company will roll out measures to streamline operations in response to customers’ demand for lower prices.

In a statement cited by SCMP, Price said that over the past five years, support function costs have “increased significantly”, creating “added unnecessary complexity”, slowing decision-making, and pushing up product costs that “ultimately raise prices for customers”.

He stressed that this situation is not sustainable and “is not aligned with the business we want to be.”

The internal email reportedly outlined initiatives such as “reshaping support functions”, “clarifying roles”, and “offshoring and outsourcing selected roles”. However, it remains unclear how many employees will be affected and which positions will be most impacted. 

MARKETECH APAC has reached out to DFI for comment.

DFI currently operates over 7,500 outlets and employs more than 83,000 people, according to its website.

In 2024, the group posted total annual revenue exceeding US$24.9 billion. But in the first half of 2025, DFI swung to a net loss of US$38 million, compared with a profit of US$95 million in the same period last year.