Morrisons to close 52 cafes across the UK

Morrisons plans to close more than 50 in-store cafes and some Morrisons Daily stores as part of a restructuring, with thousands of jobs at risk even as profits rebound.

All the 52 UK Morrisons cafes shutting for good

Morrisons will shut more than 50 of its in-store cafes as part of a restructuring programme, and it is closing some Morrisons Daily convenience stores across the UK. The closures will affect more than 3,600 jobs, adding to pressures on the British high street. The company reported a return to profit for the first time since its 2021 private equity takeover, posting £2.1 billion pre-tax profit for the year to October 27, 2024. A large part of that profit came from the sale of its petrol forecourts to Motor Fuel Group. The retailer also noted a 3.9% rise in like-for-like sales and a 4.2% rise in total sales to £3.9 billion in the second quarter of its current financial year. Staff numbers fell from 104,819 to 101,144 as the company trimmed costs while keeping a focus on value for customers. Earlier this year Morrisons closed 17 Morrisons Daily stores, with the last outlet in Haxby closing in May.

The closures illustrate a hard balance in modern retail between streamlining profits and maintaining local access. Morrisons is choosing core, cash-generating assets while pulling back on non-core services like in-store cafes. That shift reflects a broader bid by supermarkets to protect margins in a tight consumer climate, even as communities feel the loss of convenient services. The question now is whether the gains in efficiency translate into sustained customer value and how the labor market in retail will absorb the churn.

Highlights

The high street is being reshaped by big moves from major retailers, and the next chapter will test both balance sheets and communities.