Sainsbury’s embarks on major in-store shakeup putting 2,000 jobs at risk
Sainsbury’s will close 200 in-store cafes and 34 hot food counters next month as part of a big shake-up that puts about 2,000 jobs at risk.
On Tuesday, the UK’s second-largest supermarket chain briefed affected cafe and counter staff on the closure plan and promised to prioritise them for vacant roles.
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts said it had been a “difficult decision” to close the cafes and it would support them in “any way we can”.
“We understand this is very unsettling for our colleagues, but we must keep adapting our business to make sure we are offering customers the best possible food and drink at affordable prices,” he added.
The retailer said that in the next 12 month the cafes in 30 stores would be replaced with food halls run by Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG) which owns a portfolio of brands including Carluccio’s, Ed’s Diner and Gourmet Burger Kitchen. The number of Starbucks cafes in its supermarkets would also double to 60, it said.
In a similar vein to cost-cutting elsewhere in the supermarket industry as inflation bites, Sainsbury’s said 34 of its “less popular” hot food counters would also be closing. The grocer closed its fresh fish, cheese and meat counters in stores in 2020, which resulted in the loss of about 3,500 jobs.
Sainsbury’s will also be restructuring the bakeries in 54 stores. These employees will enter into consultation, with the aim of redeploying those affected to other areas of their store where possible, the company said.
Usdaw, the retail trade union, said the plan was “devastating” news for members affected by the proposals. Usdaw national officer Dave Gill said it would be having talks with store managers and “looking at the business case for the company’s planned changes”.
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