Tesco Identifies Store Closures

Tesco (Welwyn Garden City, England) has revealed the 43 U.K. stores it will close as part of the supermarket chain’s plan to cut costs after two successive years of falling sales and profits, and an accounting scandal.

As a result, the company will lay off 2000 staff members.

“Our priority is to explain what this announcement means for our colleagues and, wherever possible, offer them alternative roles with Tesco,” said Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, noting that the decision to close the stores was “exceptionally difficult.”

Tesco’s Express and Home Plus stores will close on March 15, with the Tesco Metros and Superstores on the list closing on April 4, according to BBC.