Suffolk: McColl's and post office to close down

The Church Street Store in Eye has been included in a list of 132 stores that are set to close down.

The closures will not take place until next year to allow the local community to use the Post Office during the festive period. 

The plans mean that around 1,300 members of staff are now facing redundancy although bosses have said that every affected employee will be offered alternative employment at a nearby McColl’s store, Morrisons store, logistics operation or foodmaking centre.

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.”

Bosses have also announced that the Stoke Park Drive store in Ipswich will also close down. 

David Potts, Morrisons chief executive, said: “Today marks an important moment for the McColl’s business, colleagues and customers as we formally welcome the business and its colleagues into the Morrisons family.

"We are now able to begin the urgent journey to transform McColl’s into a viable, well-invested and growing operation.

“Over the last three years we have seen the significant enhancements that the conversion of a McColl’s store to a Morrisons Daily can achieve, and so I am very pleased that we will now have over 1,000 Morrisons Daily stores trading within two years.

"I’m confident that the McColl’s conversions, combined with the increased competitiveness that will be unlocked through investment and synergies, will make Morrisons a growing force in the important convenience market in the years to come.”

Bosses have said that there are no further store closures currently being considered but they remain in discussion with a number of landlords of challenged stores.