Waitrose announced yesterday that it plans to close another four stores because it cannot make them profitable amid “challenging” trading conditions.
Three shops in Caldicot, Ipswich and Shrewsbury will shut in December, whilst the fourth in Wolverhampton has been sold to Tesco. 124 staff face redundancy, whilst the 140 workers in the Wolverhampton store will transfer to Tesco.
Waitrose has been shutting underperforming stores since it launched a review of its estate back in 2017. After the latest closures, Waitrose will trade from 331 stores – 272 supermarkets and 59 convenience stores.
Its sister chain John Lewis has also recently announced that it will close eight department stores.
Despite the closures, Waitrose stated that it still sees opportunities to open new shops. Bérangère Michel, Executive Director of Customer Service for the John Lewis Partnership, commented: “Closing any of our shops is always a last resort and is not a reflection on the dedication of our Partners in Caldicot, Ipswich Corn Exchange, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton. Sadly, we have not been able to find a way to make these shops profitable in the long-term, despite the hard work of everyone involved.
“Our priority now is the wellbeing and future of our Partners in these shops. We will do everything we can to support them and explore opportunities wherever possible for those who may wish to remain with the Partnership.”
