127-year-old retailer confirms more cuts in 2026

Widespread store closures are rapidly becoming the norm crossed the planetary retail industry, with thousands of locations shutting down astatine an unprecedented pace.

While the diminution of carnal stores has played a large relation successful occupation losses, different unit accelerating the displacement is the accelerated adoption of precocious exertion and artificial quality (AI). Retailers are progressively restructuring their operations to prioritize automation and efficiency, often astatine the disbursal of accepted roles.

As a result, positions that were erstwhile considered indispensable are present being eliminated arsenic redundant oregon cost-intensive. For galore companies, workforce reductions are nary longer a past resort, but a strategical determination tied to semipermanent transformation.

Among the latest to uncover cuts is Morrisons, underscoring a broader inclination that could reshape employment crossed the retail sector.

U.K. supermarket concatenation Morrisons has revealed plans to chopped astir 200 roles astatine its Bradford caput office, placing astir 8% of its workforce astatine risk.

The affected positions span cardinal departments, including the marketing, commercial, and method teams.

Company enactment cited rising security costs, the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and higher substance prices tied to geopolitical tensions successful the Middle East arsenic contributing factors, according to worker accounts reported by GB News.

However, the layoffs are besides portion of a broader, multi-year translation strategy focused connected accelerating AI adoption and automation crossed the business, an inaugural that began successful 2025.

A Morrisons spokesperson told Better Retailing that the programme is intended to "ensure our cardinal functions are amended placed to service our stores and fortify our quality to present for customers successful the existent precise challenging marketplace conditions."

The latest layoffs travel a bid of cost-cutting measures by Morrisons successful caller years.

In March 2025, the retailer planned wide closures, including 52 in-store cafés, 18 marketplace kitchens, 17 convenience stores, 13 florists, 35 nutrient counters, 35 food counters, and 4 pharmacies, according to the BBC.

While galore affected employees were expected to beryllium redeployed, astir 365 roles remained astatine risk.

These moves bespeak a broader effort to streamline operations and reallocate resources toward higher-margin and technology-driven areas of the business.

Despite ongoing closures and layoffs, Morrisons has reported coagulated fiscal performance, according to its latest net report.