Morrisons is set to close five McColl's sites in Bristol as part of a new investment plan. Dozens of jobs are at risk in Bristol after the supermarket revealed proposals to shut 132 loss-making stores nationwide in the convenience chain it saved from administration earlier this year.
In May this year, 18 Bristol stores were saved by Morrisons after the supermarket chain won a battle with a rival bidder to buy the struggling business. At the time, the supermarket chain said it would guarantee to keep all the stores open and retain all the staff - and pay workers at least £10 an hour.
But on Tuesday (November 1), Morrisons unveiled its plans to overhaul the convenience retailer after competition regulators said last week that they were set to be given the green light on the takeover. Morrisons said it expects some McColl’s stores to return to profitability as part of its turnaround plans, but identified that there were “132 stores where there is no realistic prospect of achieving a breakeven position in the medium term”.
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Morrisons, which itself was bought in a £7 billion deal last year, said all 1,300 workers at risk from the closure plans would be offered roles elsewhere in the company.
Five branches of the convenience store have been identified as "loss-making sites" in the Bristol area by the supermarket giant. Stores in Stockwood, Bedminster, Cribbs Causeway, Stapleton and Portishead are closing for good.
Sophie McColl, manager of the North Street branch in Bedminster, told BristolLive that it had been a "rollercoaster of a day" and the news of the closure came "as a big shock" to her and her team. She said the team believed they were saved after the takeover from the supermarket giant earlier in the year.
"They said we would all be safe and all still have our jobs. I had to attend a call this morning and they're closing us down after Christmas," she explained.
An exact closure date is yet to be confirmed for the site. The North Street branch is allowed to trade until after Christmas as it has a post office on site, which will be particularly busy during the festive period.
Ms McColl, who works in a team of ten at the branch, added: "I just want to say thanks for the customer's continuing support over the last year. They've all been amazing and told us how good the store is and how lovely we all are.
"I'm devastated for us and our team but also for all of the regular customers who really rely on us and the post office. I feel like we're letting them down even though it wasn't our decision to close. I feel really, really sad by it all."
The majority of the 132 stores will now be closed "in an orderly fashion over the remainder of the year", the supermarket said. Morrisons will delay the closure of 55 stores with adjoining Post Offices until next year to enable them to serve their communities through Christmas and to allow the Post Office additional time to make alternative arrangements.
Joseph Sutton, Morrisons Convenience, Online and Wholesale Director, said: “We have a great deal of work to do but there’s no question that McColl’s is a business with strong potential. I’m confident that the combination of McColl’s conveniently located stores and great colleagues together with Morrisons scale, brand, systems and fresh food expertise will lead to a transformation of the business.
“We very much regret the proposed closure of 132 loss-making stores but it is, very sadly, an important step towards the regeneration of the business. I am confident that McColl’s can, in the Morrisons family, once again become a growing, thriving and vibrant convenience business serving local communities across the UK.
“We are pleased to be able to offer every colleague alternative employment within the Morrisons group, but we fully recognise that this might not be a practical solution for all colleagues.”
In June, a McColl's store in Temple Quay closed for good and is set to become a Greggs by the end of the year.
Stores closing in Bristol:
BRISTOL CRIBBS CAUSEWAY - BS34 5GG
BRISTOL STOCKWOOD - BS14 8PG
BRISTOL STAPLETON - BS16 1HD
BRISTOL BEDMINSTER NORTH ST - BS3 1JA
BRISTOL PORTISHEAD - BS20 6AB
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