B&M has come under scrutiny for allegedly trying to enhance its Glassdoor ratings artificially.
- The employee review platform, Glassdoor, flagged unusual activities on B&M’s page, indicating potential manipulation.
- B&M, with a current rating of 3.1 out of 5, asserts its commitment to genuine reviews.
- Amid these allegations, B&M was recently removed from the UK’s FTSE 100 index.
- The company reports financial pressure from increased operational costs and expansion in France.
Retailer B&M is facing allegations of attempting to artificially boost its rating on Glassdoor, an employee review website known for its transparency and reliability. This comes after Glassdoor issued a warning on B&M’s page, suggesting irregular activities aimed at enhancing the employer’s ranking. The alert, according to Glassdoor, is a rare step taken only when ‘particularly aggressive’ efforts to skew the platform’s rating system are detected. This move is intended to alert users about potential manipulation in employer ratings, thereby maintaining the integrity of the platform.
In response to these allegations, a spokesperson from B&M highlighted that the rating in question dates back some time, and reassured stakeholders of the company’s ‘zero-tolerance approach to artificial review rankings.’ The company mentioned its implementation of new policies to prevent such practices, expressing its intent to collaborate with Glassdoor to address and hopefully remove the warning.
Further compounding the retailer’s challenges is its recent expulsion from the FTSE 100 index, following a significant share price drop of 21% over the past quarter. This demotion reflects the financial pressures B&M faces, including rising operational costs linked to both its expansion of retail outlets and the investment in supply chains, notably in its French operations.
During the first half of the fiscal year ending 28 September, B&M revealed a marginal decline in adjusted operating profit by 1.8% to £258 million. This financial performance indicates the strain from higher operational costs and the strategic investments aimed at sustaining its market position amidst growing competition.
The ongoing scrutiny over B&M’s Glassdoor ratings, coupled with its financial and index challenges, underscores the multifaceted pressures the retailer is currently navigating.
