Tesco to cut 4,500 jobs from Metro stores chain
Tesco is to cut around 4,500 staff in the latest round of redundancies at the UK's largest supermarket chain.
The majority of the jobs will be cut from 153 mid-size Metro stores, as well as from the smaller Express chain of shops and the larger superstores.
In a continuing review of how its outlets are run amid a challenging retail environment and rising costs, the UK's largest supermarket chain wants to overhaul its Metro stores in particular, saying that shoppers tend to use them for top-up shops, rather than buying bigger baskets.
The company said in a statement: "The Metro format was originally designed for larger, weekly shops, but today nearly 70% of customers use them as convenience stores, buying food for that day."
Tesco, also Britain's biggest private sector employer with a staff of over 300,000, said it was changing the way it stocked
stores, with more products going directly to the shop floor and fewer being held in the back office.
As such, said staff will be expected to be more flexible, working across different departments and adding more focus on keeping stock levels high during busy lunchtime rushes, among other tasks.
The company added that there will also be a "leaner management
structure" and workers will be given headsets to communicate more easily
throughout the stores.
The move comes after Tesco announced in January a drive to cut 9,000 jobs as it looked to restructure its store and head office functions.
At the time,Tesco said that as part of in-store changes it would close counters at 90 of its largest supermarkets.
It said that changing customer habits meant that meat, fish or deli service areas were not being used as frequently and the remaining 700 stores could see a reduced counter service.
Other reforms included new stocking routines which, it said, reduced the need for staffing and the removal of a hot food service for workers.
Tesco also said in January that it hoped to redeploy half the staff facing job losses in the planned shake-up aimed at "simplifying" the business as chains continue to invest in price cuts by saving money elsewhere.
The majority of the jobs will be cut from 153 mid-size Metro stores, as well as from the smaller Express chain of shops and the larger superstores.
In a continuing review of how its outlets are run amid a challenging retail environment and rising costs, the UK's largest supermarket chain wants to overhaul its Metro stores in particular, saying that shoppers tend to use them for top-up shops, rather than buying bigger baskets.
The company said in a statement: "The Metro format was originally designed for larger, weekly shops, but today nearly 70% of customers use them as convenience stores, buying food for that day."
Tesco, also Britain's biggest private sector employer with a staff of over 300,000, said it was changing the way it stocked
stores, with more products going directly to the shop floor and fewer being held in the back office.
As such, said staff will be expected to be more flexible, working across different departments and adding more focus on keeping stock levels high during busy lunchtime rushes, among other tasks.
The move comes after Tesco announced in January a drive to cut 9,000 jobs as it looked to restructure its store and head office functions.
At the time,Tesco said that as part of in-store changes it would close counters at 90 of its largest supermarkets.
It said that changing customer habits meant that meat, fish or deli service areas were not being used as frequently and the remaining 700 stores could see a reduced counter service.
Other reforms included new stocking routines which, it said, reduced the need for staffing and the removal of a hot food service for workers.
Tesco also said in January that it hoped to redeploy half the staff facing job losses in the planned shake-up aimed at "simplifying" the business as chains continue to invest in price cuts by saving money elsewhere.