Jobs at risk as Morrisons announce further store closures

Hundreds of jobs have been put at risk after supermarket chain Morrisons announced the closure of more stores.
MBTC-14-08-13- Morrisons Ampthill Rd Bedford.
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New Morrisons store , Ampthill Rd, Bedford. ENGPNL00120130814153226MBTC-14-08-13- Morrisons Ampthill Rd Bedford.
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New Morrisons store , Ampthill Rd, Bedford. ENGPNL00120130814153226
MBTC-14-08-13- Morrisons Ampthill Rd Bedford. b13-771 New Morrisons store , Ampthill Rd, Bedford. ENGPNL00120130814153226

Despite reporting a rise in sales over the Christmas period the Bradford-based retailer said it will be closing seven branches across the country at the beginning of this year.

A spokesman said it was ‘with regret’ it would be shutting the stores but stressed they were not profit-making and were among the company’s smaller outlets, at under 15,000 square feet.

Around 680 jobs have been put at risk by the announcement.

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Back in September 2015, 900 jobs were under threat as the chain announced it was closing 11 stores, none of which were located in the south.

The national chain, which has stores in Crawley, Eastbourne, Hastings, Worthing and Littlehampton, has not confirmed which stores will be affected by the announcement.

Morrisions reported a 0.2 per cent rise in like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, in the nine weeks up to January 3.

Shares surged by more than 10 per cent after the better-than-expected trading update, in which analysts expected sales to fall by two per cent.

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