Sainsbury's has said it will close up to another 70 Argos stores as it relocates a further 80 into its supermarkets amid a wider overhaul of its estate over the next five years. The group also announced it will close up to 15 large supermarkets and as many as 40 convenience stores, but will open around 10 big stores and some 110 convenience outlets.
 
Joanne McGuinness – Usdaw National Officer says: “Our members in Sainsbury’s are very concerned about this announcement and we are seeking an urgent meeting with the company to hear the details of their proposals. In the meantime we are providing our members with the support they need during this period of uncertainty.”
 
Dave Gill – Usdaw National Officer says: “Since Sainsbury’s acquired Argos we have dealt with a large number of store relocations, moving stand-alone stores into supermarkets. This announcement is a continuation of that programme. We have always prioritised seeking redeployment opportunities and we have been successful in avoiding any compulsory redundancies throughout the process.”
 
Notes for editors:
 
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK's fifth biggest and the fastest growing trade union with over 410,000 members. Membership has increased by more than one-third over the last couple of decades. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
 
For Usdaw press releases visit: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Twitter @UsdawUnion