Supermarket giant with 2,800 branches to close store permanently in days
A SUPERMARKET giant with 2,800 shops is set to close a store permanently.
Tesco will be pulling down the shutters on one of its sites in the coming days.
Its superstore branch in Wakefield will close for the final time on September 15.
The store was previously converted from the chain's discount brand Jack's to a Tesco in 2022.
Tesco closed its Jack's supermarkets last year, converting six of the 13 branches into new Tesco superstores, while the others permanently shut.
The decision to shut the site was made due to a lack of customer demand.
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All staff currently working at the Wakefield store will have the option to be redeployed to another store in the area.
Currently there are three Tesco Express stores in the surrounding area.
The news comes after The Sun revealed another site in Sheffield, also formerly a Jack's supermarket, will be shutting.
Its shop in Kilner Way retail park is also closing its doors on September 15.
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Reasons for the closure have also been related to low customer demand.
There are currently four large Tesco stores and nine Express stores in Sheffield.
The other four former Jack's stores that were converted to Tesco supermarkets remain open.
The remaining sites include Edgehill, Chatteris, Rubery and Immingham.
In 2018, Tesco launched discount store Jack's in a bid to take on rival retailers Lidl and Aldi.
It had branches in towns and cities like Hull, Sheffield, Walton, Barnsley and Liverpool.
But just four years later, the retailer announced that it was closing all Jack's stores with round 130 jobs affected by the decision.
The supermarket giant said it “learned a tremendous amount” from the business, which was named after founder Jack Cohen.
Tesco said its experience with Jack’s helped its core business to be more competitive with rival chains.
Of course there are still over 2,800 Tesco locations to shop at, you can find your nearest one using the store locator tool on its website.
Meanwhile, we list further store closures affecting UK shoppers below.
Other store closures
Retailers have been feeling the pinch since the pandemic while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to soaring inflation.
High energy costs and a shift to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
The inability to renegotiate rents and agreements with landlords is also putting pressure on some retailers to pull out of some locations.
A number of well-known retailers including Argos, Lloyds Pharmacy and New Look have closed stores in recent months.
Bargain chains aren't immune either, Wilko recently collapsed into administration - with 52 shops now set to close next week.
Home and garden giant Homebase is also shutting one of its shops on Friday.
House of Fraser confirmed to The Sun that its branch in Guildford will shut on Saturday, September 30.
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Iceland and Central Co-op are all also pulling down the shutters on some of their stores this month.
We've rounded up all the high street chains closing sites in September.
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