JCM Media is making 85 staff redundant as it refocuses on direct mail after completing a review of its declining print business.


The jobs will go in JCM Medias traditional print business, but it hopes to redeploy some staff in its direct mail business where it is creating 42 jobs, taking the staff total to 337.


The company, whose fortunes have suffered due to competition from the National Lottery, is spending 3m over the next two to three years to develop direct mail. It will keep its offset printing machinery.


Littlewoods media relations manager Sam Ruston said: "Weve spent a lot of time considering what the right decision would be for the future of the business. We hope that most of the redundancies will be voluntary or natural wastage. Where possible well re-deploy people."


The firm also said relocation to a more suitable site in Merseyside was being considered, but any decision was likely to be taken in a years time.


Earlier this year, JCM Media managing director Steve Ward took charge of the review to "develop sophisticated data technology to a wide range of clients" (PrintWeek, 2 February).


As PrintWeek went to press no one from the GPMUs Merseyside, Central Lancashire & North Wales branch was available for comment.


Last year JCM Media and J&C Moores Direct recorded a combined turnover of 21.1m with a pre-tax loss of 500,000.


Story by John Davies