Waitrose closes four more supermarkets, putting 124 jobs at risk Business

Waitrose Four more of the 335 supermarkets are set to close as the employee-owned group prepares for an overhaul under new management.

Stores in Caldecott, Ipswich Corn Exchange and Shrewsbury will be closed, putting 124 jobs at risk. Another 140 turns in Wolverhampton You will move to Tesco, which acquires the site.

“We found trading to be a challenge in these four stores, and despite tremendous efforts by the partners, we could not find a way to make them profitable in the long term,” Waitrose He said.

She said she would try to find other employee roles across the group, which she also owns John Lewis Supermarkets and fast growing online businesses. John Lewis added that Waitrose continued to be important to customers and new stores may open in some areas.

Bérangère Michel, Executive Customer Service Director for Waitrose’s parent group John Lewis The partnership said: “Closing any of our stores is always a last resort and not a reflection of the dedication of our partners at Caldecott, Ipswich Corn Exchange, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.”

The recent shutdowns follow John Lewis permanently Eight closed Of its 50 stores in July, including major outlets in Birmingham and Watford, with a potential loss of 1,300 jobs.

The company has also closed 15 outlets in Waitrose Since March of last year Including Helensburgh ScotlandFour Oaks in Sutton Coldfield and Waterloofville in Hampshire Earlier this year.

Waitrose’s profit rose 10 million pounds to 213 million pounds in the year ending in January, boosted by the sale of unwanted stores. Excluding this one-off benefit, profits were down by £ 6 million, affected by higher costs including employee salaries.

Sharon White, The new president of the John Lewis Partnership, is set to lay out her vision for the company’s future next month. However, on Thursday, it is expected to reveal a heavy first half loss to the group’s stores and cut profits at Waitrose.

Waitrose sales likely increased, as it gained thousands of new shoppers online and took advantage of cafes and restaurants closures. But profits are under pressure from the costs of ramping up its online business in preparation for its split from Ocado earlier this month, as well as rising operating costs during the pandemic, including protective equipment and more home deliveries.