Morrisons said a “wide-ranging review” found these services were not cost-effective and confirmed there will be around 365 jobs at risk of redundancy
Morrisons has announced plans to shut 17 convenience stores and 52 of its in-store cafés. The supermarket giant will also shut all 18 of its market kitchens, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies.
Morrisons said a “wide-ranging review” found these services were not cost-effective. The majority of employees affected by these changes will be offered alternative roles elsewhere in the company, but confirmed there will be around 365 jobs at risk of redundancy.
The shake-up is also partly to “help mitigate recent significant cost increases” including an increase in employers’ National Insurance and the minimum wage. But it comes despite sales at Morrisons jumping 4.1% in the year ending October 27, while earnings rose to £835million from £751million in the previous 12 months. The annual results did not cover the key Christmas trading period.
Rami Baitiéh, Chief Executive of Morrisons, said: “The changes we are announcing today are a necessary part of our plans to renew and reinvigorate Morrisons and enable us to focus our investment into the areas that customers really value and that can play a full part in our growth.
“Morrisons Cafés are rightly famous for their great quality well-priced food, their place in the local community and their appealing mix of traditional favourites alongside exciting new dishes. In most locations the Morrisons Café has a bright future, but a minority have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option.
“Market Street is a beacon of differentiation for Morrisons and we remain committed to it. But as we modernise we are making some necessary changes to the areas of the model which are simply uneconomic. In some stores where we are closing counters or Cafés, we plan to work with third parties to provide a relevant specialist offer.”
“Although these changes are relatively small in the context of the overall scale of the Morrisons business, we do not take lightly the disruption and uncertainty they will cause to some of our colleagues. We will of course take particular care to look after all of them well through the coming changes.”
Cafés set to close
- Bradford Thornbury
- Paisley Falside Rd
- London Queensbury
- Portsmouth
- Great Park
- Banchory North Deeside Rd
- Failsworth Poplar Street
- Blackburn Railway Road
- Leeds Swinnow Rd
- London Wood Green
- Kirkham Poulton St
- Lutterworth Bitteswell Rd
- Stirchley
- Leeds Horsforth
- London Erith
- Crowborough
- Bellshill John St
- Dumbarton Glasgow Rd
- East Kilbride Lindsayfield
- East Kilbride Stewartfield
- Glasgow Newlands
- Largs Irvine Rd
- Troon Academy St
- Wishaw Kirk Rd
- Newcastle UT Cowgate
- Northampton Kettering Road
- Bromsgrove Buntsford Ind Pk
- Solihull Warwick Rd
- Brecon Free St
- Caernarfon North Rd
- Hadleigh
- London – Harrow – Hatch End
- High Wycombe Temple End
- Leighton Buzzard Lake St
- London Stratford
- Sidcup Westwood Lane
- Welwyn Garden City Black Fan Rd
- Warminster Weymouth St
- Oxted Station Yard
- Reigate Bell St
- Borehamwood
- Weybridge – Monument Hill
- Bathgate
- Erskine Bridgewater SC
- Gorleston Blackwell Road
- Connah’s Quay
- Mansfield Woodhouse
- Elland
- Gloucester – Metz Way
- Watford – Ascot Road
- Littlehampton – Wick
- Helensburgh
Morrisons Daily stores to close
- Gorleston Lowestoft Road
- Peebles 3-5 Old Town
- Shenfield 214 Hutton Road
- Poole Waterloo Estate
- Tonbridge Higham Lane Est
- Romsey The Cornmarket
- Stewarton Lainshaw Street
- Selsdon Featherbed Lane
- Haxby Village
- Great Barr Queslett R
- Whickham Oakfield Road
- Worle
- Goring-By-Sea Strand Para
- Woking Westfield Road
- Wokingham 40 Peach Street
- Exeter 51 Sidwell Street
- Bath Moorland Road
- :: Market Kitchen counters set to close
- Aberdeen King Street
- London – Canning Town
- London Camden Town
- Eccles Irwell Place
- Stoke Festival Park
- Lincoln Triton Road
- Tynemouth Preston Grange
- Nottingham Netherfield
- Leeds Kirkstall
- Milton Keynes Westcroft
- Little Clacton Centenary Way
- Gravesend Coldharbour Rd
- Cheltenham Up Hatherley
- Basingstoke Thorneycroft
- Brentford Waterside
- Edgbaston
- Verwood
- Kirkby
Florists set to close
- Aberdeen King Street
- London – Canning Town
- Stirchley
- Bradford Enterprise 5
- Sunderland Doxford Park
- St Helens Boundary Road
- Swinton Swinton Hall Rd
- Sheffield Meadowhead
- Evesham Four Pool Estate
- Newcastle Under Lyme – Goose St
- Rubery Bristol Road South
- St Albans Hatfield Rd
- Sheldon
Pharmacies set to close
- Bradford Victoria
- Blackburn Railway Road
- London Wood Green
- Birmingham Small Heath
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