Jobs at risk as Waitrose sells two East Mids stores

High-end supermarket chain Waitrose is set to close two of its East Midlands stores and sell them to Lidl.

The move to offload the Oadby and Wollaton outlets comes as part of another round of sales and closures that will see 700 jobs put at risk.

Employees are being consulted on the changes, with Waitrose saying some staff could be redeployed at other stores. No staff are expected to transfer to Lidl.

Mark Gifford, Waitrose’s director of shop trade, said: “We haven’t taken this decision lightly but we have to do what’s right for the business as a whole. Thanks to the hard work of all our partners we’re making good progress and Waitrose & Partners is on track for profit growth this year but, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, we haven’t been able to find a way to make these shops profitable in the long term.”