Morrisons has said 365 jobs are at risk of redundancy because of plans to close some of its cafes, convenience stores, florists and fresh food counters. The supermarket chain said it was costing more to run the services than it was making from customer spending. The closures will see it shut down 52 cafes, all 18 market kitchens, 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies. The majority of staff members affected by the changes, which will be made over the next few months, are expected to be deployed to roles elsewhere in the business, Morrisons said. But there will be a total of around 365 employees at risk of redundancy.
Morrisons has said 365 jobs are at risk of redundancy because of plans to close some of its cafes, convenience stores, florists and fresh food counters
(Image: PA)
Rami Baitieh, Morrisons’ chief executive, said the changes were a “necessary part of our plans to renew and reinvigorate” the chain and invest in areas that “customers really value”. In most locations, the Morrisons cafe has a “bright future”, but a small number have specific local challenges which made closures “the only sensible option”, Mr Baitieh said. The chief executive said it was committed to the Market Street model – which offers fresh meals such as pizza, pies and rotisserie chicken for takeaway in some shops – but that parts of it were “simply uneconomic”. Some fresh food counters or cafes in shops could be replaced with specialist offers from third-party companies. “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,” he said. “We will of course take particular care to look after all of them well through the coming changes.” Morrisons is the UK’s fifth largest supermarket, according to data supplied by analysts Kantar, and hires around 95,000 staff across the country. It was overtaken by Aldi in the rankings in 2022, with the German discounter rival enjoying rapid growth as shoppers took advantage of cheaper prices during the cost-of-living crisis. Plans to revive Morrisons have been set in motion, having faced a challenging few years since being taken over by a US private equity firm in a £7 billion deal. It has since benefited from sales growth and taking market share from competitors after growing its loyalty scheme and bringing down some prices. 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
