Jobs Fears As Tesco Closes Stores

28 January 2015, 14:05

More than 320 Tesco jobs are at risk after the supermarket giant confirmed four Scottish stores are to close.

Tesco announced at the beginning of the year that it was shutting 43 stores and halting plans for many more following poor company performance in 2014.

Company chief executive Dave Lewis said today that Kirkcaldy's Tesco superstore will close, affecting 189 posts.

A Homeplus store in Edinburgh, a Tesco Metro in Grangemouth and an Express shop in Troon will also cease trading, with 326 positions affected in total.

Mr Lewis said: "Earlier this month I announced that our performance as a business has fallen significantly short of where we would want it to be and that to protect the future of the business in the UK we would close 43 unprofitable stores.

"It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that stores in Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, Grangemouth and Troon are included in the 43 we plan to close.

"The decision to close these stores has been exceptionally difficult to take. I recognise it will affect many hard-working colleagues, our customers and the communities in which these stores are situated.

"Our priority is to explain what this announcement means for our colleagues and, wherever possible, offer them alternative roles with Tesco.

"I would like to thank all our customers who have shopped in our store. We will continue to do our best to serve them at our stores across Scotland and through our dotcom service.''

The company has previously confirmed that it will not go ahead with planned developments in Aviemore, Fort William, Banff, Crieff, Cowdenbeath, East Kilbride and Glasgow. An extension to a store in Cupar has also been cancelled.

Tesco shares fell dramatically in 2014, a year which saw a string of profit warnings, the departure of chief executive Philip Clarke and a £263 million accounting scandal.

The supermarket chain currently has 64 superstores in Scotland and 144 smaller outlets.