Tesco to close 317 in-store counters and axe Jack’s chain
Tesco has announced that it is to close 317 of its deli and hot food counters and axe its Jack’s supermarket chain.
The retailer said the moves will help make its business fit for the future.
Tesco said customer shopping behaviour has changed considerably over recent years which has led to a decrease in the number of shoppers using counters on a regular basis in some of its stores. As result, the 317 stores with the lowest demand will see their counters close, although 279 shops will continue to offer the service.
The retailer said there will be no redundancies as a result of the changes as affected staff members will be offered alternative role within the business.
In addition, Tesco will no longer operate its 13 stores under its Jack’s brand. Of these, six will be converted to Tesco superstores while the remaining seven will close in the coming months.
Jack’s was launched in 2018 to celebrate Tesco’s centenary and founder Jack Cohen. They were also used to help the retailer gain knowledge from running stores with a low-cost operating model.
Tesco UK and ROI chief executive Jason Tarry said: “We have learnt a huge amount from Jack’s and this has helped Tesco become more competitive, more efficient and strengthened our value proposition, including through the launch of Aldi Price Match. In turn, this has enabled us to consistently attract new customers to Tesco from our competitors over the last two years and we know they increasingly recognise the value they can find at Tesco. With the learnings from Jack’s now applied, the time is right to focus on ensuring we continue to deliver the best possible value for customers in our core business.”
In the six stores to be converted to Tesco, Jack’s staff members will be automatically offered in-store roles. However, the retailer is currently looking to find find alternative roles at Tesco for people in the 130 roles in the seven closing stores.
Tarry added: “Our Jack’s brand will continue to be sold across Booker and our symbol brands, bringing great value and quality to even more customers. We want to thank our Jack’s colleagues for all they have done and taught us. Our priority is to find roles within our wider business.”
