Tesco has announced a trial to close certain stores an hour earlier as part of a wider initiative to streamline operations and reduce costs. The UK’s largest supermarket plans to test shorter opening hours in some Tesco Express locations, where stores will close at 10pm instead of the current 11pm.
The trial will take place in selected stores identified as having the least footfall. The move follows a statement last month from Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy, who said the company is seeking to reduce £500 million from its overheads to counter rising operational costs. This includes additional tax burdens introduced by chancellor Rachel Reeves in April, particularly the increase in employer national insurance contributions.
A Tesco spokesperson described the Express format as a “strong and growing business” offering value and convenience, and noted that the trial would not affect the range of products available to customers. The company added that the changes would not impact customer experience.
“These changes aren’t visible to our customers, who will continue to receive the same great service they expect,” they stated.
Tesco has not provided specific details on the number of stores or locations involved in the trial, nor has it indicated the potential scale of staff transfers.
Concern over staffing and impacts on workers
However Usdaw, the union representing Tesco workers, did not agree to the trial and has raised has raised several concerns. Daniel Adams, Usdaw’s national officer, expressed reservations about the trial, stating that the union has not approved the changes and will closely monitor the process to assess its impact on staff.
“The union has repeatedly raised issues with the business around the risks of low staffing and retain significant concerns around how this trial will work,” he said.
Adams acknowledged that Tesco has assured the union there will be no redundancies associated with the trial. However, he maintains there are potential challenges for affected employees, including possible transfers to other stores.
“That in itself can cause problems with travel, caring commitments and shift patterns; so we will be fully supporting our members affected by this trial,” Adams added.
