THE 11 supermarkets that Morrisons plans to shut have been identified, with just one store in Yorkshire in line for closure.
The Bradford-based retailer said it intended to shut the stores when it announced its half-year figures last week, but didn’t identify the locations because staff had not been informed.
Local and trade media reports have identified those stores at risk, with 900 jobs under threat, although affected staff may be placed within other parts of the business.
Northallerton in North Yorkshire is joined by two in the North East – Castletown and Shildon – and three in the North West, in Little Hulton, Salford and Tyldesley.
Two West Midlands stores, in Oldbury and West Bromwich, and two in Somerset, in Burnham on Sea and Clevedon, as well as Streatham in London, are also under threat.
Morrisons’ half-year figures, the first under chief executive David Potts, showed sales were down 5.1% to £8.1bn, although life-for-like non-fuel sales were down 2.7% – part of the difference being the falling price of oil which contributed to fuel sales dropping 17% to £1.6bn.
Morrisons’ like-for-like performance in the second quarter of -2.4% had slowed the rate of decline significantly from -7.6% a year earlier.
Overall, pre-tax profits were down 47% to £126m while impairment and provision for onerous contracts were put at £87m.
