Supermarket Giant Ends Era of Teenage Paper Rounds
Supermarket chain Morrisons has made 1,700 people redundant across the UK following the sale of its home newspaper delivery operation. The service, which served up to 25,000 households, was largely staffed by young people working fewer than eight hours per week.
Morrisons inherited the newspaper rounds when it purchased the McColl’s Retail Group in 2022. The retail giant has now sold this part of its business to News Team Group (NTG) for an undisclosed sum, effectively ending what was a first paid job for many British teenagers.
Community Bonds Broken by Abrupt Redundancies
The paperboys and girls were informed of their redundancy via letter, a method that left many feeling disregarded. In one case, a teenage delivery person from Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, reportedly turned up for work only to discover his job had ended the day before.
The human impact of the business decision is starkly illustrated by the story of Ben Peters, 17, from Holland-on-Sea, Essex. Ben had delivered newspapers for four years and seven months, building strong relationships with his mostly elderly customers.
"Losing my job has been very difficult to take in because I’d done it for such a long time," Ben said. "I’ve met so many new people and spoke to them daily and it was all cut off, almost like I don’t exist."
He described his role as more than just a job, explaining that he would often check on customers with medical problems and even walked a customer's dog after she suffered a knee injury. He claimed that 90% of his customers said they would rather cancel their papers than switch to the new delivery company.
Company Justification and Customer Transition
Morrisons defended the move, citing a "long-term decline" in newspaper home deliveries that made the service unsustainable. A company spokesperson stated that transitioning customers to NTG, which operates the UK's largest news delivery network, would provide a "more efficient service" and protect deliveries for vulnerable customers who rely on them.
Customers were automatically transferred to the new service by November 9. However, the transition has not been smooth for all. Ben reported that one of his former customers cancelled their delivery after the new firm attempted a delivery at 5 am, disturbing neighbours.
For the redundant teenagers, the loss represents more than just a weekly wage. Ben, who was one of 14 delivery staff let go from his local Morrisons Daily, has been unable to find a new job despite applying widely. The situation raises broader concerns about the shrinking number of first-job opportunities available to young people in the UK.
Morrisons has acknowledged the isolated incident in Bishop’s Stortford where a employee was not properly notified, stating they believe a letter was sent but he was on holiday during the consultation period. The company says it will review its internal processes.
