Sainsbury's has confirmed the exact date that it will close a number of in-store cafes across the UK. The supermarket giant announced in January that its 61 remaining cafes would close as part of a huge shake-up.
It has been confirmed that the cafes will shut this Friday (April 11). Sainsbury's previously said the decision to close them was taken due to lower footfall and a "challenging cost environment". A spokesperson from Sainsbury's said: "In January, we shared the difficult decision that our remaining Sainsbury’s cafes would be closing and this will take place on April 11. We are sorry for any disappointment this may cause. Our stores continue to support the customers and communities they serve in a range of ways, including through fundraising, volunteering and donations to good causes. We’re exploring future opportunities for the space and will keep our colleagues and customers updated."
Sainsbury's chief executive Simon Roberts previously said the retailer was facing a "challenging cost environment".
He explained: "The decisions we are announcing today are essential to ensure we continue to drive forward our momentum but have also meant some difficult choices impacting our dedicated colleagues in a number of parts of our business.
"We’ll be doing everything we can to support anyone impacted by today’s announcements."
The latest cuts come after Sainsbury's confirmed that 3,000 jobs would be axed from its headquarters earlier this year. The supermarket said the jobs were cut in a bid to streamline the business.
Full list of Sainsbury's in-store cafe closures:
Sainsbury's is also axing all remaining patisserie, bakery, rotisserie and pizza counters in its larger branches. Some items from these sections will be moved to other areas of the supermarket.
