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21
May
Tesco issues statement on Booths acquisition in Ripon
Tesco has said there will be no compulsory redundancies following its acquisition of Booths in Ripon.
The Stray Ferret revealed yesterday Booths had agreed to sell its store on Marshall Way, meaning its nearest outlet will now be in Ilkley.
The company said in a statement “the challenges of significantly increased operating costs have meant that we cannot see a future where the store will be profitable under the Booths model”.
The news generated a mixed reaction on social media, with many bemoaning the loss of the upmarket grocers and wondering whether the recent expansion of Marks & Spencer Simply Food at the St Michael’s Retail Park in Ripon had influenced the decision.
Others welcomed the arrival of Tesco to a city that already has Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Aldi supermarkets, as well as Marks & Spencer.
It means Tesco is now due to open supermarkets in Ripon and Harrogate this year.
The Stray Ferret asked Tesco whether jobs would be protected in the transfer, and what kind of store the Ripon site would be. We also asked how long the premises would close for refurbishment.
Tesco replied in a statement:
We can confirm that, following a short closure the Booths Ripon store will re-open as a Tesco store later this year.
All colleagues will have the choice to transfer to the new Tesco store, and there will be a consultation about what the changes mean for colleagues over the coming weeks. There will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of these changes.
No further details were provided.
Ripon Business Improvement District, which is funded by city centre businesses to attract more visitors, said the arrival of Tesco “demonstrates confidence in Ripon’s continued growth and vitality” and was “a clear endorsement of our city's potential”.
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