A Harrow supermarket will close for a number of weeks while it is downsized.
The Tesco Metro store on Kenton Lane is due to cease trading on August 20 – and will reopen as a smaller Tesco Express within a few weeks.
However customers and staff have raised concerns that not only will the variety of products decrease but also staff will be forced to relocate or risk losing their jobs.
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One customer, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “We are very disappointed about it. A lot of residents are going to be unhappy.
“It’s always busy and now staff are going to be made redundant. We can’t understand it.”
Another accused the store management of being dismissive of the workforce’s welfare.
“It will cause inconvenience for older people in the area,” he added.
A Tesco spokesman said: “Making changes to the store was a difficult decision for us. Our priority now is to do everything we can to find roles within Tesco for those colleagues who are affected.
“We are looking forward to opening the refreshed store and continuing to serve our customers in Harrow.”
Tesco said the store was not profitable as a Metro, despite the claims of customers. It added that downsizing would make it more sustainable in the future.
Tesco said it was working to place employees at nearby stores
The store currently employs 64 staff and two managers, although this is expected to drop with the downsizing.
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