Waitrose to close Barry store with 122 job losses

Image source, Tony Hodge/Geograph

Image caption, After 15 years, the Waitrose store in Barry is to close

Supermarket chain Waitrose is to close one of its stores in south Wales with the loss of 122 jobs.

Despite a sales and profit rise, the company confirmed the branch in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, will shut on 9 June.

The store opened 15 years ago but is among five closures announced after it was no longer seen as "commercially sustainable" in the long term.

Waitrose said it would meet staff to offer support and identify alternative jobs "wherever possible".

Waitrose is part of the John Lewis partnership, which announced its lowest bonus to staff since 1954 as profits plunged by more than 45% last year to 拢160m.

However it said Waitrose had performed well, with like-for-like sales at the supermarket up 1.3% and profits up 18%.

The store on Palmerston Road has been sold to a rival retailer.

Anlo Properties will be working on the site for "an extended period of time" and is likely to announce its plans at a later date, Waitrose said.

Image source, PA

Image caption, Waitrose sales and profits are up - but it is closing five stores

Waitrose & Partners regional manager Alistair Bullock said: "We have taken great pride in being part of the Barry community for almost 15 years, so the sale of the shop is not something we take lightly.

"Our priority is our partners (staff) working there who will be fully supported throughout the process and we will identify opportunities for those wishing to remain with the business wherever possible."

The Barry store is the largest of five branches to be closed across the UK.

The others are in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, Blaby, Leicestershire, and Torquay and Teignmouth, both in Devon.

John Lewis partnership said "near constant discounting" from rivals had hit profit, particularly in its department store shops.