Morrisons is cutting back across its estate, putting 365 jobs at risk as it closes dozens of cafés, counters and convenience stores in the next stage of its turnaround plan, with competition in the sector heating up as rival Asda pulls itself out of a long slump.
The Bradford-based supermarket group said a wide-ranging review had revealed parts of the business that were no longer sustainable, with operating costs outstripping the value they brought to customers.
The changes will see the closure of 17 convenience shops, 52 in-store cafés, 35 meat and fish counters, 18 Market Kitchens, 13 florists and four pharmacies.
Most affected staff are expected to be offered alternative roles, but some redundancies are likely.
Chief executive Rami Baitiéh, brought in last year to revive the grocer’s fortunes, said the shake-up is "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".
He said the cafés are "rightly famous" for their well-priced food and their place in the local community, but in a number of locations "have specific local challenges", while he assured that Market Street is "a beacon of differentiation for Morrisons" but modernising stores meant some areas "are simply uneconomic".
In some stores where cafes or deli counters are closing, he said there Morrisons plans to work with third parties to provide "a relevant specialist offer".