Morrisons Announces Closure of 17 Stores in Major Restructuring Move
In a significant reorganization, supermarket giant Morrisons has announced the closure of 17 of its stores across the UK. This decision comes as part of a broader effort to streamline operations and refocus financial resources within the company. Alongside the store closures, a large number of in-store services—including cafes, meat and fish counters, pharmacies, and market kitchens—will also be shutting down.
Store Closures and Employee Impact
The closure of these 17 locations represents a severe impact on local communities and the employees who serve them. According to Morrisons, approximately 365 employees will be at risk of redundancy following the store closures. However, the company has committed to redeploying many of these staff members to other surrounding stores whenever feasible, aiming to minimize job losses during this transitional period.
Morrisons is setting its sights on reallocating cash to more profitable segments of the business, although the full details of the strategy are yet to be disclosed. The cuts are expected to be implemented over the next few months as the company adjusts its operational focus.
As part of the extensive overhaul, Morrisons will also close 52 cafes, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters, four pharmacies, and all 18 market kitchens. This marks a notable shift in the company’s service offerings as it looks to reinforce its competitive standing in the market.
List of Closing Stores
The 17 Morrisons stores slated for closure are as follows:
- Gorleston – Lowestoft Road
- Peebles – 3-5 Old Town
- Shenfield – 214 Hutton Road
- Poole – Waterloo Estate
- Tonbridge – Higham Lane Estate
- Romsey – The Cornmarket
- Stewarton – Lainshaw Street
- Selsdon – Featherbed Lane
- Haxby – Village
- Great Barr – Queslett Road
- Whickham – Oakfield Road
- Worle
- Goring-By-Sea – Strand Para
- Woking – Westfield Road
- Wokingham – 40 Peach Street
- Exeter – 51 Sidwell Street
- Bath – Moorland Road
Context of Market Changes
The changes at Morrisons come at a time of heightened competition in the UK retail landscape. Other retailers are also adjusting their pricing strategies in response to evolving consumer behaviors during the ongoing economic challenges. Asda is among those that have recently slashed prices on thousands of products in an effort to remain competitive against discount grocers like Aldi.
This wide-ranging revamp reflects the supermarket’s attempts to adapt to changing market conditions while facing pressures to increase efficiency and profitability.
As the situation develops, consumers and employees alike are watching closely to understand the full impact of these closures and what the future holds for Morrisons in a crowded marketplace.
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