Morrisons to close 132 convenience stores including Morrisons Daily on Albert Royds Street

Photo: Google, DigitalGlobe

The Albert Royds Morrisons Daily store

Morrisons has revealed proposals to close 132 McColl’s or formerly McColl's stores, including the one on Albert Royds Street in Rochdale.

Morrisons acquired the McColl’s convenience stores from administration earlier this year: Prior to the recent announcement to close stores, there were plans in place to convert a total of 450 McColl’s stores to the Morrisons Daily format - of which 286 have already been converted, including the Albert Royds Street store. 

After a “detailed review” of the McColl’s estate, Morrisons now plans to convert the substantial majority of the McColl’s stores to Morrisons Dailys. 

Morrison’s says the 132 stores earmarked for closure have “no realistic prospect of achieving a breakeven position in the medium term” and the majority will now be closed in an “orderly fashion” over the remainder of the year.  

Staff will be offered alternative employment at a nearby McColl’s store, Morrisons store, logistics operation or foodmaking centre.

No other McColl’s in the boroughs have been named under the proposals.

David Potts, Morrisons chief executive, said: “Today marks an important moment for the McColl’s business, colleagues and customers as we formally welcome the business and its colleagues into the Morrisons family.  We are now able to begin the urgent journey to transform McColl’s into a viable, well-invested and growing operation.”

Joseph Sutton, Morrisons convenience, online and wholesale director, said: “We very much regret the proposed closure of 132 loss-making stores but it is, very sadly, an important step towards the regeneration of the business.  I am confident that McColl’s can, in the Morrisons family, once again become a growing, thriving and vibrant convenience business serving local communities across the UK.  

“We are pleased to be able to offer every colleague alternative employment within the Morrisons group, but we fully recognise that this might not be a practical solution for all colleagues.”