Kwik-Save to close 79 stores nationwide

[Accura4Matalan]

Kwik Save to close down 79 shops


The chain has struggled in the High Street

Ailing supermarket chain Kwik Save has announced it is to close more than a third of its stores immediately as it battles to secure its future.

After the closure of 79 stores, to be completed by Wednesday, 147 outlets will remain open.

Usdaw, the union representing shop workers, said that "hundreds" of jobs would be lost by the move.

Last week, Arla Foods stopped delivering milk to the struggling chain because of "payment problems".

At its Wellington, Shropshire store, customers turned up to find a note at the shop, announcing its closure.

The most recent figures from research group TNS, for the 12 weeks to 22 April, showed Kwik Save's share of supermarket spending had shrunk from 1.2% in 2006 to just 0.2% a year later.

'Urgent meeting'

Kwik Save said that workers had been given "much longer" notice of the closures than just a day but did not specify further.

It was "with regret" that it had made "this difficult decision", it said in a statement.

"However, in order to enable the business to succeed, the Kwik Save management team has had to announce these cutbacks to secure the future of the business," the firm added.

"Kwik Save would like to thank all of its staff affected by this regrettable situation for their commitment to the company over the years."

An Usdaw spokesman said the union would be seeking an "urgent meeting with the company to clarify what redundancy package workers can expect, as well as discussing the long-term future of the business".

Last year, the owners of Somerfield sold off the loss-making Kwik Save brand and most of its stores to BTTF and rebranded about 100 Kwik Save sites that it kept.

In February this year the chain received a £50 million rescue package.

Retail expert Theresa Whickham told the BBC that Kwik Save had not been keeping up as big retailers moved into the convenience shopping market.

Other analysts have said that the chain has struggled against low-cost rivals such as Aldi and Lidl.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6702119.stm

My local store is going too. I hope another food retailer replaces it because we dont have any convenience stores in this part of my area. I never shopped there much anyway because its so crap.

[Erebus555]

I'm surprised they are not closing the store where I used to live because just up the road, a brand new Tesco is opening which is bound to put the store out of business in the near future.

They were the last store I know to still play Muzak as well. The local store did it up until 2000 or so and it was just pure hilarity. Oh well, you won't see me shedding any tears.

[Butterfield]

I haven't been in a Kwik Save for years despite there being one very close to where I live. I won't miss their No Frills own brand.

I haven't heard if any are shutting round by me though.

[Erebus555]

There's two *I think* shutting in the Black Country.

[1LONDONER]

Kwik save's still exsist?!?

Dont think they do them in London no more.

[1LONDONER]

Do they still do 'no frills'?

[Telfordboy]

Yeah the Sloppy-star went into overdrive about the Kwik Save in Wellington closing, apparently customers found out with a note on the front. I say big deal they suck, go to Tesco.

No frills crisps once made me chunder.

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Accura

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6702119.stm

My local store is going too. I hope another food retailer replaces it because we dont have any convenience stores in this part of my area. I never shopped there much anyway because its so crap.

they've been in trouble since they spun out of Somerfield. Somerfield kept the cream of the crop.

The one in Stoke in Coventry has empty shelves! It's been like for almost six months.

[Tony Sebo]

the one in Prescot closed last night.. which actually presents the town centre there with some interesting development opportunities!

[Val Verde]

Well it seems inevitable that they will soon go bust even with basic stuff not being delivered such as milk and bread you know something is really screwed with Kwik Save. Three have closed in the Leeds area of Ilkley which always appears empty and is right next door to a Tesco and is in an unusually posh location, Wetherby which has a large Morrisons nearby and Harehills which has a Tesco up the road but is in a deprived area and could really do with being demolished with something better going in its place in an attempt to revitalise that area.

Granted while I never shop there as they are or were totally awful it is massive how they have so rapidly declined and with stores resembling Soviet era state owned foodstores no wonder they appear to be going bust especially with store decor which appears very 1970s. As for what a typical store looked like lately I have found these pictures from Flickr of Kwik Save's in York and Preston :

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


Presumably most will probably be given over to other cheapo supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi or Netto and hopefully development opportunities could be made to put something better where a Kwik Save was if it is in a developable area?

[Zim Flyer]

God those pictures tell a story, you can't sell it if it's not on the shelves.

I think the problem is Somerfield asset stripped them and left them with the dross ill performing stores.

They need to shut down as many crap locations as possible and then use the savings to rebrand each of the stores to make them look something of this century.

There is a roll for KwikSave in this world selling as much food as possible at the lowest prices to the low income groups in this country.

If I had the money I would love to buy Kwik Save and turn them around.

[NothingBetterToDo]

Kwik-Save is an awful excuse for a supermarket....on the one time i went into one as child we were confronted with mess, open food packets and a Pigeon, inside the store, pecking at a spilt packet of corn flakes - on seeing that my mum put down her basket of shopping and we left the store for the nearest Sainsbury's.

People want cheap food, but they don't want ugly, dirty stores that havent been refurbed since the 70's, and they certainly don't want poor quality food. With competition from Tesco, Sainsbury's and even Morrisons (which is getting its act together at last and moving away from the Kwik-Save style of doing things), its easy to see why kwik-save is failing.

[Accura4Matalan]

I thought Morrisons was moving away from that style of retailing too, especially with the forthcoming rebranding. But then I saw the new logo...


Not exactly up to date is it...

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Zim Flyer

God those pictures tell a story, you can't sell it if it's not on the shelves.

I think the problem is Somerfield asset stripped them and left them with the dross ill performing stores.

They need to shut down as many crap locations as possible and then use the savings to rebrand each of the stores to make them look something of this century.

There is a roll for KwikSave in this world selling as much food as possible at the lowest prices to the low income groups in this country.

If I had the money I would love to buy Kwik Save and turn them around.

Yup, Somerfield kept some and rebranded them, and sold off a heap of other decent sites for cash - one Kwik Save in Coventry is going to become a development for Aldi plus a parade of smaller shops and a heap of apartments. It's an ugly building at the moment, so good riddance to Kwik Save.

The company who bought the dregs (BTTF) were sold a dog, and they can't afford basic stock. The rest will no doubt shut down soon.

[Accura4Matalan]

^Another very old fashioned marketing strategy

[and-r]

somerfield stripped the chain of its best stores, they also sold the stores near me to netto and home bargains. both are chains that id be far more likely to enter than kwik save

[NothingBetterToDo]

Originally Posted by Accura

I thought Morrisons was moving away from that style of retailing too, especially with the forthcoming rebranding. But then I saw the new logo...


Not exactly up to date is it...

Oh my, that looks like something from the 80's

Where's the style and class???

[and-r]

Originally Posted by NothingBetterToDo

Oh my, that looks like something from the 80's

Where's the style and class???

it's a budget retailer from leeds, waitrose it certainly isn't but it's a pleasant enough logo, better than the old one for sure

[NothingBetterToDo]

Originally Posted by and-r

it's a budget retailer from leeds, waitrose it certainly isn't but it's a pleasant enough logo, better than the old one for sure

Isn't Marks & Spencer's from Leeds?

Anyway, Tesco is a budget retailer too....but it doesnt look like a budget retailer. Matalan is a budget clothes shop too, but they rebranded a while ago and their logo looks quite snazzy.

Just because it is budget doesnt mean it has to look like crap

[future.architect]

Originally Posted by Accura

I thought Morrisons was moving away from that style of retailing too, especially with the forthcoming rebranding. But then I saw the new logo...


Not exactly up to date is it...

i think thats the sort of style and apeal of morrisons. they want to be seen as the local village town centre but all under one roof. the style of the branding and the architecture of the shops is influenced by victorian style markets