Major supermarket chain with 7,000 branches to close site
A MAJOR supermarket chain with 7,000 branches is set to close a site.
The closure, which will take place in July, could also mean the loss of a crucial amenity for the local community.
The popular Co-op store in Oswestry, Shropshire contains a Post Office – and locals have now been left uncertain about the fate of the mail service.
Co-op bosses confirmed the news of the closure and apologised to disappointed customers.
A spokesperson said: “We carry out reviews of our existing store locations, and only after very careful consideration, have we taken the difficult decision to close our Cabin Lane store.
“We understand that this decision will not be welcomed by all, so we are sorry for any inconvenience this will cause and would like to thank the community for its support of the store.”
The spokesperson then directed customers to a different branch, adding: “We have another Co-op store very nearby on Victoria Road, Oswestry, and we remain committed to serving and supporting Shropshire communities with stores across the county.”
Local MP Helen Morgan expressed her concerns about the potential loss of the Post Office in Parliament.
She said that the branch services a very large rural area that does not have a great deal of digital access and therefore relies on the post.
Helen, who represents the constituency of North Shropshire, said: “The full range of Crown Post Office services are absolutely essential.”
“Can the Minister provide some assurance that the full range of Crown Post Office services will remain in Oswestry and that the Post Office will take into account the fact that it is so important to retain these vital services in rural areas which are being deserted by commercial organisations like banks?”
In response, Gareth Thomas, whose remit covers services, small business and exports in the Department for Business and Trade, agreed on the importance of the service.
However, he did not provide any guarantees on whether it would remain in place – and said the Post Office would need to consider various factors.
He said: “I absolutely am clear that we have, as a government, a continuing responsibility, which we recognise and accept, to make sure Post Office services are available to every community across the UK, that there is easy access to a Post Office branch in rural areas and in urban areas alike. And we remain committed to doing that. Absolutely.
“As I’ve said earlier, no decision has been taken on to close any individual directly managed branch. But it is right that the Post Office looks at all its costs if we’re going to achieve an increase in sub postmaster pay going forward.
“And in that regard and her wider point, it’s important that the Post Office management this time, because previous management teams haven’t always done so, consults properly with sub postmasters, with trade unions and with other stakeholders.”
The Co-op branch is not the only supermarket to close recently – as a Tesco site in Romford, London, also announced it would be shutting up shop.
The branch, which will close on January 27, had been there since 2009.
And, in more bad news for shoppers, Sainsbury’s announced it was axing all remaining patisserie, bakery, rotisserie and pizza counters in its bigger branches.
It will also shutter 61 existing in-store cafes and cut 3,000 head office staff.
RETAIL PAIN IN 2025
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April.
A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024.
Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”