4,500 jobs to cut across 153 Tesco Metro stores

Tesco has announced it will be cutting around 4,500 staff in 153 Tesco Metro stores are set to lose their jobs in the latest round of redundancies.

The UK’s largest grocer said changes to the way the stores operated would “serve shoppers better” and help to “run our business more sustainably”.

It said the stores were operating in an increasingly competitive and challenging retail environment.

Tesco boss Jason Tarry said, “In a challenging, evolving retail environment, with increasing cost pressures, we have to continue to review the way we run our stores to ensure we reflect the way our customers are shopping and do so in the most efficient way.”

Tesco Metro shops are sized between Tesco superstores and Tesco Express shops. They first opened in 1994.

It is also making some changes in 134 of its 1,750 Express stores, where customer footfall is lower.

Changes in those stores will include “a slight reduction in opening hours during quieter trading periods at the start and end of the day, and simplifying stock routines”.

It comes as rivals Aldi and Lidl put pressure on the big four supermarkets.