Morrisons has announced the closure of 103 stores, cafes, pharmacies and florists as part of a significant restructuring programme, with 115 workers at its historic Wakefield bakery facing potential redundancy.
The supermarket chain confirmed that 50 cafes, all 18 Market Kitchens, 17 daily convenience stores, 13 florists and four pharmacies will shut as part of plans described by chief executive Rami Baitiéh as necessary to “renew and reinvigorate” the business.
The closures include the 28,000 square foot Rathbones Bakery facility in Wakefield, which narrowly avoided shutdown in November 2024 after operating at reduced capacity following restructuring. The bakery, founded in 1893 and acquired by Morrisons from administration in 2005, had shifted production from white bread to products including pita bread, crumpets, pancakes and rolls.
A Morrisons spokesperson stated: “Regrettably, having thoroughly reviewed all alternatives, we can no longer see a way back to breakeven and have taken the difficult decision to close the remaining facility.” The spokesperson added: “We are however fully committed to doing everything we can to help all those affected, including identifying any other suitable roles available elsewhere in the Myton Group.”
According to The Grocer, earlier projections had suggested the bakery could reach breakeven by 2027, but Morrisons remained loss-making at the site despite “tremendous” efforts to expand output. In-store bakeries will remain unaffected by the Rathbones closure, with the future use of the site yet to be decided.
Mr Baitiéh described the closures as a “necessary part of our plans to renew and reinvigorate Morrisons and enable us to focus our investment into the areas that customers really value and that can play a full part in our growth.”
Addressing the cafe closures specifically, he noted: “Morrisons Cafés are rightly famous for their great quality well-priced food, their place in the local community and their appealing mix of traditional favourites alongside exciting new dishes. In most locations the Morrisons Café has a bright future, but a minority have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option.”
The majority of the 17 Morrisons Daily convenience stores closed on April 16, with one additional site shutting on May 14. Locations affected include stores in Gorleston, Peebles, Shenfield, Poole, Tonbridge and Romsey, among others across England, Scotland and Wales.
The closures come as Morrisons posted losses of £919 million last year, down from £1.3 billion in 2023. However, the company reported a pre-tax profit of £2.1 billion for the year ending October 27, 2024. The restructuring has been linked to challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis.
Despite the closures, Morrisons announced price cuts on more than 2,500 products nationwide and online for January. Alex Paver, pricing and customer director, said: “At Morrisons, we believe great quality should be affordable for everyone, and we know that January is a time when the cost of the weekly shop really matters to customers. These price cuts reflect our continued commitment to helping customers spend less, while enjoying the quality Morrisons is known for.”
