Morrisons has begun its 100-store closure programme after shutting its first Morrisons Daily branch in Woodley, Berkshire.

The Crockhamwell Rd store closed last week, less than two years after it opened.

Its Post Office also shut after mail services had operated from the road for around 60 years. The Post Office was seeking a nearby retailer to host a replacement branch.

Morrisons closed another Daily store on Stokesley High St in North Yorkshire on July 18 as its store reduction programme gathered pace.

The Stokesley shop had traded as a McColl’s for decades before it was converted into a Morrisons Daily following the supermarket’s acquisition of the convenience chain in 2022.

Morrisons revealed in May that it planned to close 100 smaller convenience stores over the following months, putting hundreds of jobs at risk, as Retail Gazette previously reported.

The affected branches formed part of its £190 million rescue deal for McColl’s and had remained loss-making despite attempts to improve their performance.

The grocer said it was consulting affected staff and would seek to redeploy employees where possible.

Morrisons said closing the loss-making branches would allow it to focus on stores that “work best for customers” and strengthen its remaining convenience estate.

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