Sainsbury's has said it will shut 200 cafes in a shake-up of its in-store dining which is set to hit around 2,000 workers.
The supermarket business also said it is launching consultations with an undisclosed number of staff regarding plans to close less popular hot food counters in 34 stores and changes to how it runs bakeries in 54 stores.
It is the latest in a raft of recent restructuring moves by the retailer as it seeks to keep a lid on rising costs.
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Sainsbury's told staff at its cafes on Tuesday morning that it is proposing to close 200 sites in the spring.
It said that workers affected by the closures will be prioritised for vacant roles in stores and will be encouraged to apply for jobs elsewhere in the business.
The remaining 67 in-store cafes will stay open while the company reviews changes to its dining operations.
Which Sainsbury's cafes are closing?
Sainsbury's has yet to confirm the full list of 200 in-store cafes that will be closing.
However, it has released a list of the 67 cafes that will stay open.
According to the Express, stores that are not listed are part of the 200 cafes set for closure.
This would appear to include Liverpool Great Homer Street Superstore, Rice Lane Superstore, East Prescot Road Superstore, Upton Superstore and Neston Superstore.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury's told the ECHO: "If a store is not on the list of cafés remaining open, the café will close and we will keep colleagues and customers updated on our plans."
Have you been affected by the store closures? Get in touch with news@liverpool.com
Full list of Sainsbury's cafes staying open:
- Fosse Park
- Truro
- Rustington New
- Scarborough
- Marsh Mills
- Waterlooville
- Penzance
- Springfield
- Godalming
- Bognor Regis
- Kings Lynn Hardwick
- Thanet Westwood Cross
- Lincoln
- Ely
- Warren Heath
- Durham
- Monks Cross
- Emerson Grn
- Castle Point
- Bamber Bridge
- Longwater Lane
- Hazel Grove
- Weedon Rd
- Morecambe
- Leicester North
- Nantwich
- Pepper Hill
- Chichester
- Hereford
- Bury St.Edmunds
- Larkfield
- Cheadle
- Cannock
- Rugby
- Hedge End
- Harrogate
- Sedlescombe Rd
- Pinhoe Road
- Barnstaple
- Hempstead Valley
- Bridge Mead
- Wakefield - Marsh Way
- Swadlincote
- Torquay
- Talbot Heath
- Isle Of Wight
- Darlington
- Harlow
- Leek
- Dewsbury
- Marshall Lake
- Whitchurch
- Macclesfield
- Winterstoke Rd
- Preston
- Didcot
- Christchurch
- Denton
- Stroud
- Keighley
- Archer Road
- Stanway
- Pontypridd
- Rhyl
- Newport
- Wrexham
- Pontllanfraith
Its decision to close the cafes is a part of a wider move to transform its dining, takeaway and home delivery food and drink offers from stores.
The retailer said it will also open 30 more restaurant hubs in stores in partnership with Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), which runs the Caffe Carluccio's, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Ed's Diner and Slim Chickens brands.
It said the move comes after a successful trial partnership at its Selly Oak supermarket in Birmingham.
The supermarket business said it will also open 30 Starbucks sites across its supermarkets, as it seeks to overhaul its offer across 250 stores over the next three years.
On Tuesday, the group also confirmed the closure of further hot food counters and changes to bakery operations at some sites.
It did not specify the number of jobs impacted but the move comes after previous cuts in these areas.
In April last year, Sainsbury's said 1,200 jobs were at risk from plans to stop baking products in some stores, while it cut around 3,500 jobs due to the closure of fresh meat and fish counters in November 2020.
Simon Roberts, Sainsbury's chief executive officer, said: "As we go through this period of transition, we have taken the difficult decision to close 200 of our cafes next month.
"We have spoken to all colleagues affected by these changes today and are absolutely committed to supporting them in any way we can during this uncertain time.
"Of course, we understand this is very unsettling for our colleagues, but we must keep adapting our business to make sure we are offering customers the best possible food and drink at affordable prices.
"We are totally focused on improving what we can deliver for our customers and at the same time, working hard to make our business simpler.
"We are really excited about this new customer offer we will be rolling out over the next two to three years across many of our stores."
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