Morrisons has reversed its decision to axe its meat and fish counters, announcing a phased reopening of the popular Market Street service after widespread customer backlash. The supermarket closed around 35 meat and fish counters in 2025 as part of cost-cutting measures, but now plans to bring them back to stores, starting with locations in Newcastle, Herne Bay, Thornbury, and Leeds.
Phased Reopening and Customer Feedback
A Morrisons spokesperson told The Grocer: "Our Market Street counters are part of our DNA. They are at the heart of our offer and a real differentiator for Morrisons. We closed a small number of meat and fish counters last year – and have learned a lot from that. We have listened to customers and are now planning to reopen a number of these over the coming months." The reopened counters will retain their traditional manned service but will include updates such as flatbeds and more grab-and-go options to improve efficiency.
Context of 2025 Closures
The 2025 closures affected 35 meat and fish counters, along with 52 cafés, 13 florists, 14 pharmacies, and all 18 Market Kitchen branches. Morrisons stated that the selected locations were unprofitable. However, senior executives reportedly agreed that the cost-cutting measures "might have gone too far" after customer feedback. The U-turn is part of a broader strategy to refresh the Market Street format under group trading director Andrew Staniland, which has already introduced digital ordering screens at pizza counters.
Additional Store Closures
In related news, Morrisons announced last week that it would close 100 Morrisons Daily convenience stores, acquired from McColls, due to rising costs from government measures including increases to the National Living Wage and employer National Insurance contributions. Seven locations have been named so far, including Fairfax Avenue, York and Middlesbrough. The company stated that the "tough" choice would put additional workers at risk of redundancy but that it would attempt to secure alternative roles. Despite these closures, Morrisons confirmed it launched 30 new Morrisons Daily franchise stores in the quarter, with hundreds more planned.
