Tesco has announced major changes to how it will run its stores, resulting in the loss of up to 2,000 jobs.

Tesco UK and ROI CEO, Jason Tarry said: “These are difficult decisions to make, but they are necessary to ensure we remain focused on delivering value for our customers wherever we can, as well as ensuring our store offer reflects what our customers value the most. Our priority is to support those colleagues impacted and help find alternative roles within our business from the vacancies and newly created roles we have available.”

Management changes

• Over the last couple of years, it has rolled out a new management structure in approximately 350 smaller Superstores.  
• It will extend this structure across all larger Superstores and Extra stores.
• Tesco will introduce approximately 1,800 new Shift Leader roles in these stores, leading on the day-to-day operational duties on the shop floor.
• Tesco said it will realign manager roles to ensure they are all of equal size and complexity, focusing on overall store performance and supporting its colleagues to serve customers, communities and the planet.
• With the introduction of these new Shift Leader roles and realignment of management roles, it will reduce the number of Lead and Team Managers in its large stores, impacting around 1,750 staff.
• It stated that it intends to support its employees impacted by these changes, who will have the option of moving into Shift Leader vacancies with financial support or taking redundancy.

Counter closures

• Changes were made to Tesco counters back in 2019, and the supermarket said they have been under constant review.
• The business reported that it has seen a significant decrease in demand for the counters over the last few years, and its customers no longer say they are a significant reason for them to come into store and shop and are choosing to buy products available in the aisles.
• The majority of its stores no longer operate any counters. As a conequence it has decided to close its remaining counters and hot delis from 26th February, and the space will be repurposed.
• Where the retailer can work with a third party to offer a counter experience in-store, it said it will continue to do so.