Morrisons says more than 300 jobs at risk in convenience stores, cafes and counters

Morrisons has put more than 300 jobs at risk as it shuts cafes, convenience stores and food counters as retailers grapple with rising labour costs. The supermarket chain said on Monday that it plans to close 52 cafes, 17 convenience stores, all 18 of its Market Kitchen hot food counters, 13 florists, 35 meat counters, 35 fish counters and four pharmacies. While many employees will be affected by the move, 365 roles are expected to be permanently axed. Most of the job losses are predicted to be prompted by the convenience store closures. The company said it was seeking to “optimise its operations and to help mitigate recent significant cost increases”. The move echoes cuts from its rival grocery chain Sainsbury’s, and comes as Britain’s biggest retailers have warned they could be forced to cut thousands of roles and raise prices this year as a result of measures in Labour’s budget to increase employer national insurance contributions by a projected £25bn and raise the national minimum wage by 6.7%. The Morrisons chief executive, Rami Baitiéh, has complained to the UK government that last year’s budget had exacerbated “an avalanche of costs” for businesses. Late last year, he asked what ministers could do to mitigate employers’ national insurance changes, the minimum wage rise and business rates increases. National insurance changes alone are predicted to cost Morrisons about £75m. On Monday he 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.” “We do not take lightly the disruption and uncertainty they will cause to some of our colleagues,” Baitiéh added. “We will of course take particular care to look after all of them well through the coming changes.” He said that areas of its “Market Street” business model – with expert butchers, bakers and fishmongers have been a core part of Morrisons since the 1980s and were seen as a point of difference from its rivals – were “simply uneconomic”. Morrisons was bought for £7bn by the US private equity group Clayton, Dubilier & (CD&R) in 2021. In January, Sainsbury’s said it would cut 3,000 jobs in the UK through the closure of its hot food counters and cafes and by reducing senior management roles by a fifth, amid rising labour costs. The job cuts were part of Sainsbury’s previously announced efforts to slash £1bn from costs as the business was facing “a particularly challenging cost environment”. After the announcement by Sainsbury’s, a Downing Street spokesperson said that “difficult decisions” in the budget would help pave the way for economic growth. Full list of closures Cafes Bradford – Thornbury Paisley – Falside Road London – Queensbury Portsmouth Newcastle – Great Park Banchory – North Deeside Road Manchester – Poplar Street, Failsworth Blackburn – Railway Road Leeds – Swinnow Road London – Wood Green Kirkham Poulton Street Lutterworth – Bitteswell Road Birmingham – Stirchley Leeds – Horsforth London – Erith Crowborough Bellshill – John Street Dumbarton – Glasgow Road East Kilbride – Lindsayfield East Kilbride – Stewartfield Glasgow – Newlands Largs – Irvine Road Troon – Academy Street Wishaw – Kirk Road Newcastle – UT Cowgate Northampton – Kettering Road Bromsgrove – Buntsford Industrial Park Solihull – Warwick Road Brecon – Free Street Caernarfon – North Road| Hadleigh London – Hatch End, Harrow High Wycombe – Temple End Leighton Buzzard – Lake Street London – Stratford Sidcup – Westwood Lane Welwyn Garden City – Black Fan Road Warminster – Weymouth Street Oxted – Station Yard Reigate – Bell Street Borehamwood| Weybridge – Monument Hill Bathgate Erskine – Bridgewater Shopping Centre Gorleston – Blackwell Road Connah’s Quay Mansfield Woodhouse Elland Gloucester – Metz Way Watford – Ascot Road Littlehampton – Wick Helensburgh Market Kitchens 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 Road Cheltenham – Up Hatherley Basingstoke – Thorneycroft Brentford – Waterside Birmingham – Edgbaston Verwood Kirkby Morrisons Dailys 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 Weston-Super-Mare – Worle Goring-By-Sea – Strand Parade Woking – Westfield Road Wokingham – 40 Peach Street Exeter – 51 Sidwell Street |Bath – Moorland Road Florists Aberdeen – King Street London – Canning Town Birmingham – Stirchley Bradford – Enterprise 5 Sunderland – Doxford Park St Helens – Boundary Road Swinton – Swinton Hall Road Sheffield – Meadowhead Evesham – Four Pool Estate Newcastle Under Lyme – Goose Street Rubery – Bristol Road South St Albans – Hatfield Road Sheldon Pharmacies Bradford – Victoria Blackburn – Railway Road London – Wood Green Birmingham – Small Heath