The four North East Morrisons Daily stores set to close

The retailer has named four former McColl’s stores - now branded as Morrisons Daily - on a ‘hit list’ of seven shops earmarked to close in the coming months.

It follows an announcement last month that the chain planned to shut around 100 shops it took on when rescuing McColl's in 2022.

Featured on the list are stores on Queen Street in Redcar, on Zetland Road in Loftus, on Esk Close in Guisborough, and on Stokesley High Street. 

The other three stores on the list of seven are in York, Hull, and South Driffield. 

The firm said the sites it was planning to close had been operating at a loss for years and that it forms "part of a wider strategy to improve the overall performance of the retailer’s convenience store network".

A spokesperson says the closures only concern its company-owned stores, and it continues to expand its number of franchised stores, with 120 opening last year.

The retailer said its convenience stores are subject to continuous review, but the stores to be closed have been loss-making, despite remedial action.

A statement continued: “This situation has been exacerbated in more recent years by significant cost increases resulting from Government policy choices, which have made returning these stores to profitability even more difficult.”

The retailer said it was consulting with staff facing redundancy and it would try and find other opportunities for them within the company.

It continued: “We will also work hard to mitigate the impact on customers, continuing to serve them through other nearby stores and online. 

“The combination of the proposed closure of loss-making stores and the continued addition of attractive new franchise openings will enable us to concentrate on those stores which work best for customers, improving the quality of our Convenience estate and making it stronger overall."