Supermarket cafe set to shut down

Sainsbury’s has said it will shut its remaining 61 in-store cafes as part of a major overhaul – including in Lynn.The closures are part of plans by the UK’s largest supermarket group to save £1billion over three years.It comes almost three years after it shut 200 in-store cafes amid waning demand from shoppers.

Now, the cafe in the Sainsbury’s on Lynn’s Hardwick industrial estate will also shut down.The latest round of closures is part of a shake-up which will result in the loss of more than 3,000 jobs.National media outlets have reported that Simon Roberts, Sainsbury’s chief executive, said the supermarket was facing a “particularly challenging cost environment” as it moves forward with its company strategy. He said: “As we accelerate into year two and beyond of our strategy, we are facing into a particularly challenging cost environment which means we have had to make tough choices about where we can afford to invest and where we need to do things differently to make our business more efficient and effective.“The decisions we are announcing today are essential to ensure we continue to drive forward our momentum but have also meant some difficult choices impacting our dedicated colleagues in a number of parts of our business. “We’ll be doing everything we can to support anyone impacted by today’s announcements.”This is not the first service the Hardwick supermarket has lost in recent years.In January 2023, LloydsPharmacy also announced it would vacate the premises “in response to changing market conditions”.