MORE THAN 100 MCCOLL’S STORES SET TO CLOSE

Yesterday Morrisons confirmed plans to shut 132 stores putting around 1300 McColl’s employees are at risk of redundancy. The supermarket giant took over the newsagent chain when it fell into administration with a £190 million in a rescue deal in May.

Part of this plan involves Morrisons overhauling the convenience retailer after competition regulators said last week that they were set to clear the takeover.

Morrisons said it expects some McColl’s stores to return to profitability as part of its turnaround plans but highlighted that there are “132 stores where there is no realistic prospect of achieving a breakeven position in the medium term”.

The major retailer, which itself was bought in a £7 billion deal last year, said all 1,300 workers at risk from the closure plans will be offered roles elsewhere in the company.

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.

He added: “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.”