Tesco to make big changes to stores, affecting 2,100 jobs

Tesco has announced a shake-up of its shop management in large UK stores along with the closure of its remaining meat, fish and hot deli counters, affecting 2,100 jobs.

The UK’s biggest grocer said it had started rolling out a new management structure in 350 of its smaller superstores over the past two years and was extending this structure across its larger superstores and Extra stores.

Tesco will cut the number of lead and team managers in large UK stores by 1,750, and introduce 1,800 new lower-paid “shift leader” roles, responsible for leading on the day-to-day operational duties on the shop floor.

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Those affected will have the option of moving into the lower-paid shift leader vacancies with financial support or taking redundancy.

Most Tesco supermarkets no longer operate counters, and it will shut those offering meat and fish as well as hot delis from 26 February.

A further 350 roles will be affected by other changes: the closure of eight pharmacies in supermarkets; moving overnight roles to the daytime in 12 stores and reducing hours within some post offices. Some jobs will also go at Tesco’s head office in Welwyn Garden City, and the group intends to shut its maintenance national operating centre in Milton Keynes.

Jason Tarry, the chief executive of Tesco UK and Ireland, said: “These are difficult decisions to make, but they are necessary to ensure we remain focused on delivering value for our customers wherever we can, as well as ensuring our store offer reflects what our customers value the most. Our priority is to support those colleagues impacted and help find alternative roles within our business from the vacancies and newly created roles we have available.”