Two Tesco stores to cease 24hr trading

Speculation suggested that Tesco could be about to scrap around-the-clock opening across its entire Extra estate.

Tesco’s continued bid to sort themselves out after making a hash of absolutely everything, including falling sales, trying to sell bits of itself off, and more, have now announced that they’re going to close a host of their 24-hour stores, because they can’t afford it.

The supermarket giant has not revealed which stores will slash its opening hours but the changes could affect its Tesco Wembley Extra branch in Great Central Way, Neasden.

The company stressed there would be “limited” impact on jobs, with night operations such as preparation for online deliveries and shelf stacking continuing as normal after doors shut to customers. However, an inside source has told Retail Week that 24-hour opening would not end on a widespread basis, as it remained “important” for many customers.

Costs at some of Tesco’s big out-of-town stores have been a key issue, which have been hit by the growth in online shopping and the rise of discount supermarkets. The decision to close stores early is a part of a larger cost-cutting plan that closed 43 stores past year and halted 49 planned developments, according to This is Money.

Cutting opening hours in the United Kingdom follows a similar move by Tesco in Ireland previous year. A Tesco spokesperson said that decisions on store opening times would be taken on a case-by-case basis depending on local demand.