Morrisons announces closure of 17 convenience stores

Morrisons is to shut 17 of its Daily stores to mitigate “significant cost increases”.

The changes to its stores and operations are part of a strategy that would accelerate growth and optimise operations, it said.

In addition to the convenience store closures, the supermarket said it would also shut 52 Cafés, all 18 Market Kitchens, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies over the coming months.

Most affected staff would be deployed in suitable roles elsewhere in the business, but 365 jobs are at risk of redundancy, it said.

Commenting on the closures, 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.

“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.”