Morrisons has confirmed plans to close a town centre location as part of a review of its convenience store portfolio. The Morrisons Daily on Phelps Parade in Calne is among a list of store closure proposals, the company announced.
The company has not specified when the shop will close but stated that following a review, 'a number' of stores will shut in the next few months. This closure brings the Phelps Parade site's tenure to an end only two years after opening, according to reports.
Performance review triggers closures
In a statement shared this week, Morrisons said it was planning to close several branches, including the Calne store, after concluding a performance review. A spokesperson noted that the review identified stores 'whose performance has been challenged for a number of years and which are loss-making.'
The company confirmed that as part of the closures, some staff 'will now be at risk of redundancy and a consultation will commence shortly.'
Morrisons Daily concept
A Morrisons Daily is a smaller, convenience-style store offering a wide range of groceries, fresh produce, and essentials. The retailer has around 1,700 convenience stores and opened more than 120 new franchise stores last year.
A spokesperson for Morrisons said: 'Expansion of our Convenience business is a core part of Morrisons' growth strategy. We currently have around 1,700 Convenience stores, opening more than 120 new franchise stores last year, and we have a robust plan in place for further expansion in 2026.'
'We continue to see the opportunity to open hundreds more franchise convenience stores in the years ahead. We have achieved a lot since acquiring the McColl's stores in 2022, rebranding and repositioning the business as Morrisons Daily, with significant investment in the estate and an ongoing programme of proactive management to optimise the portfolio.'
Loss-making stores targeted
The performance of all company-owned stores across the convenience business is subject to continuous review. The process identified a number of stores acquired from McColl's that have been loss-making for several years despite remedial action.
The statement continued: 'This situation has been exacerbated in more recent years by significant cost increases resulting from Government policy choices, which have made returning these stores to profitability even more difficult. Having completed the review, we are now proposing to take the tough but necessary decision to close a number of these stores over the next few months.'
'Regrettably, the proposal means that some of our Convenience store colleagues will now be at risk of redundancy and a consultation will commence shortly. We understand this will be difficult news for them and we will be providing these colleagues with all necessary support.'
'This will include finding other opportunities for impacted colleagues elsewhere in the business wherever we can, in our supermarket, logistics and manufacturing operations, and we have a strong track record of achieving this historically.'
'We will also work hard to mitigate the impact on customers, continuing to serve them through other nearby stores and online. The combination of the proposed closure of loss-making stores and the continued addition of attractive new franchise openings will enable us to concentrate on those stores which work best for customers, improving the quality of our Convenience estate and making it stronger overall.'
