Morrisons Daily: Full list of store closures today as cafes also shut down - but CEO promises "bright future"
Several Morrisons Daily convenience stores will close for good today.
Last month, Morrisons announced it would shut down 52 in-store cafes and 16 smaller shops, putting 365 jobs at risk. The company is also cutting back on hot food counters, meat counters, florists, and pharmacies.
Morrisons has pointed to rising business costs, including higher National Insurance contributions and an increase in the minimum wage, as reasons for the closures. The Morrisons Daily shops, which offer extended hours, have been part of its convenience store network.
In a statement, the company said: “Morrisons has made the difficult decision to close some Morrisons Daily stores, some of which contain Post Offices. We fully recognise the inconvenience this will cause for our customers and apologise for the short notification as these branches close between April 9 and May 14.”
Even with the closures, CEO Rami Baitieh is optimistic about the retailer’s future - even as Lidl and Aldi carve out a greater portion of the market. He said: “The changes we are announcing 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.
“Morrisons Cafes are rightly famous for their great quality well-priced food, their place in the local community and their appealing mix of traditional favourites alongside exciting new dishes. In most locations the Morrisons Cafe has a bright future, but a minority have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option.”
Full list of store closures
Moorland Road, Bath
Sidwell Street, Exeter
Strand Parade, Goring-By-Sea
Lowestoft Road, Gorleston
Queslett Road, Great Barr
Old Town, Peebles
Waterloo Estate, Poole
The Cornmarket, Romsey
Featherbed Lane, Selsdon
Hutton Road, Shenfield
Lainshaw Street, Stewarton
Higham Lane Estate, Tonbridge
Oakfield Road, Whickham
Westfield Road, Woking
Peach Street, Wokingham
Queensway, Worle