{"id":106662,"date":"2025-03-25T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=106662"},"modified":"2025-03-25T00:45:47","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T00:45:47","slug":"supermarket-chain-close-52-cafes-17-stores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/supermarket-chain-close-52-cafes-17-stores\/","title":{"rendered":"Major Supermarket Chain to Close 52 Caf\u00e9s and 17 Convenience Stores in Cost-Cutting Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Supermarket chain Morrisons<\/strong> has announced plans to close 52 in-store caf\u00e9s<\/strong> and 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, putting hundreds of jobs at risk in the coming months. The decision is part of a broader strategy to reduce costs and refocus investment on areas deemed more valuable to customers, according to a report by BBC News<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Financial Pressures and Strategic Refocusing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Morrisons, the UK\u2019s fifth-largest supermarket, has been under pressure since Aldi <\/a>overtook it in 2022 to become the country\u2019s fourth-largest grocery chain. The rise of discount supermarkets has intensified competition in an increasingly price-sensitive market, prompting Morrisons to reassess its cost structure and retail model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement, chief executive Rami Baiti\u00e9h<\/strong> said the closures are a necessary step toward \u201crenewing and reinvigorating\u201d the company. Resources will be redirected towards areas that can contribute more effectively to growth and customer value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Services Affected and Job Implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The closures extend beyond caf\u00e9s and convenience stores. Morrisons will also shut:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • 13 florists<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 35 meat counters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 35 fish counters<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • 4 in-store pharmacies<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • All 18 market kitchens, which offer ready-to-eat meals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    In total, approximately 365 employees<\/strong> face redundancy, although the company has indicated that most affected staff are expected to be redeployed<\/strong> within other parts of the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Locations Impacted<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The in-store caf\u00e9s marked for closure span locations across London<\/strong>, Leeds<\/strong>, Glasgow<\/strong>, Bristol<\/strong>, and other towns and cities across the UK. The Morrisons Daily convenience stores affected include branches in Exeter, Poole, Bath, Tonbridge, and Peebles, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These stores, known for their extended opening hours, have become less central to the company\u2019s evolving retail strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Competitive Landscape<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    According to Susannah Streeter<\/strong>, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, Morrisons is taking steps to align with market realities:
    “The supermarket chain is closing services seen as nice-to-have, but not essential, and scaling back its convenience footprint as it readies for a round of cost-cutting from rivals.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With competitors like Lidl<\/strong> and Aldi<\/strong> maintaining strong momentum through aggressive pricing and operational efficiency, traditional supermarkets such as Morrisons must adapt quickly to maintain relevance and competitiveness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    A major UK supermarket chain has announced the closure of 52 in-store caf\u00e9s and 17 convenience stores, putting hundreds of jobs at risk. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":103465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-106662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106662"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106664,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106662\/revisions\/106664"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}