TESCO will end 24-hour opening at 76 of its stores, as demand for night-time shopping wanes and online sales grow.

The country's largest grocery chain said the growth of online shopping means that certain shops had few customers during the night.

Among the 76 Tesco stores to be stripped of 24-hour opening are those at Catterick Garrison, Ingleby Barwick and Hexham. The changes will take effect between March 14 and April 11. 

Normal night time activities, such as refilling shelves, will continue in the supermarkets, and Tesco said the impact on employees will be "minimal".

The 76 outlets - about 20 per cent of Tesco's total number of around the clock branches - will close between midnight and 6am. Four hundred staff will be affected but Tesco said that does not mean 400 job losses.

"It makes much more sense for colleagues at those stores to focus on replenishing the shelves instead and making sure they're fully stocked when they open their doors at 6am," said Tesco retail director Tony Hoggett.

The 76 Tesco stores to stop 24-hour opening:

:: Mold Superstore

:: Welshpool Superstore

:: Cefn Mawr Superstore

:: Haverfordwest Extra

:: Chepstow Superstore

:: Hereford 2 – Hereford Abbotsmead Superstore

:: Congleton Superstore

:: Derby Mickleover Superstore

:: Stoke-Ontrent Superstore, Kidsgrove

:: Uttoxeter Superstore

:: Leicester Extra

:: Nottingham Carlton Superstore

:: Toton Extra

:: South Wigston Superstore, Leicester

:: Hinckley Superstore

:: Coventry Walsgrave Superstore

:: Hall Green Superstore, Solihull

:: Walsall Brownhills Superstore

:: Buckingham Superstore

:: Flitwick Superstore

:: Leighton Buzzard Superstore

:: Fulbourn Cherryhinton Superstore

:: Sleaford Superstore Superstore

:: March Hostmoor Ave Superstore

:: Dereham Extra

:: Lowestoft Leisure Way Superstore

:: Bishops Stortford Superstore

:: Harlow Church Langley Superstore

:: Maldon Extra

:: Royston Extra

:: Sudbury Superstore

:: Dingwall Mart Road Superstore

:: Inverurie Extra

:: Dunfermline Extra

:: Cumbernauld Extra

:: Catterick Garrison Superstore

:: Ingleby Barwick Superstore

:: Hexham Extra

:: Clitheroe Superstore

:: Halifax Aachen Way Superstore

:: Whitehaven Superstore

:: Workington 2 Superstore

:: Bridlington Superstore

:: Goole Boothferry Road Superstore

:: Clowne  Superstore

:: Skegness Superstore

:: Sheffield Infirmary Superstore

:: Hemsworth Superstore

:: Clay Cross Extra

:: Formby Superstore

:: Cirencester Extra

:: Cheltenham Superstore

:: Burnage Superstore

:: East Didsbury Superstore

:: Glossop Superstore

:: Gloucester Superstore

:: Stroud Superstore

:: Evesham Worcester Rd Superstore

:: Gloucester Brck Extra

:: Addlestone Extra

:: High Wycombe Loudwater Superstore

:: Basildon Extra

:: Hertford Superstore

:: Orpington Extra

:: Bexhill Superstore

:: Whitstable Extra

:: Chichester Extra

:: Littlehampton Superstore

:: Taunton Superstore

:: Barnstaple Superstore

:: Exmouth Superstore

:: St Austell 2 Superstore

:: Truro Superstore

:: Helston Superstore

:: Lewisham Superstore

:: Woolwich Extra