Morrisons supermarket store closures are moving from announcement to local impact in summer 2026, with around 100 loss-making Morrisons Daily convenience stores expected to close across the UK after the retailer said several sites had been “challenged for a number of years”. The closures are now being felt most sharply in communities where a Morrisons Daily also hosts a Post Office counter, including Hull, Hemel Hempstead and Brigg, because losing the shop can also mean losing banking, parcels, stamps, bill payments and daily access to cash, The WP Times s reports.
The first confirmed closures include Morrisons Daily stores in Fairfax Avenue, Hull; Esk Close, Guisborough; Zetland Road, Loftus; Stokesley High Street, Middlesbrough; Queen Street, Redcar; Middle Street, South Driffield; and Woodthorpe, York. Local reports also say the Grovehill Morrisons Daily in Hemel Hempstead is expected to shut on 12 July 2026, the Brigg store in Wrawby Street on 1 August 2026, and the Fairfax Avenue branch in Hull on 9 August 2026if no replacement Post Office operator is found.
Why Morrisons is closing Daily stores
Morrisons says the closures focus on company-owned Morrisons Daily stores whose performance has been under pressure for several years. The affected shops are understood to include sites that came into the business through the McColl’s acquisition, which Morrisons completed in May 2022. At the time, Morrisons said the deal covered 1,160 McColl’s stores, including 270 Morrisons Daily format shops.
The retailer has linked the decision to long-running losses at weaker convenience sites and higher operating costs. Labour costs are one part of that pressure: the UK National Living Wage rose to £12.71 an hour from 1 April 2026 for eligible workers aged 21 and over, according to GOV.UK. Employer National Insurance and wider shop-running costs have also added pressure across food retail.
This does not mean Morrisons is leaving convenience retail. The company still operates a large Morrisons Daily network and has previously described its convenience estate as around 1,600 stores, including hundreds of franchise locations. The current closures are targeted at weaker company-owned sites rather than the whole format.
The practical difference matters: a Morrisons Daily closure can remove both a shopfront and a counter service that residents use every week.
Which Morrisons Daily stores are confirmed so far?
Morrisons has not published a complete list of all around 100 stores expected to close. That makes local confirmation important. The first confirmed sites are concentrated in Yorkshire, the North East and nearby areas, with further closures emerging through local notices and Post Office updates.
| Morrisons Daily site | Area | Current position |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax Avenue | Hull | Closure expected in August 2026 if no replacement Post Office operator is found |
| Esk Close | Guisborough | Confirmed among first named sites |
| Zetland Road | Loftus | Confirmed among first named sites |
| Stokesley High Street | Middlesbrough | Confirmed among first named sites |
| Queen Street | Redcar | Confirmed among first named sites |
| Middle Street | South Driffield | Confirmed among first named sites |
| Woodthorpe | York | Confirmed among first named sites |
| Wrawby Street | Brigg | Local authority information says closure is due on 1 August 2026 |
| Henry Wells Square / Grovehill | Hemel Hempstead | Local campaign information says closure is expected in July 2026 |
The key SEO wording here should stay precise: “confirmed so far”, “reported locally” and “expected” are safer than saying every site has been formally confirmed by Morrisons. A “full UK update” can still be accurate if it explains that the full company list is not yet public.
When will Morrisons stores start closing
The closures are not scheduled for a single national date. Morrisons has described the process as taking place over the coming months, with consultation affecting the timing at individual stores. The clearest local dates currently reported are:
- 12 July 2026 — Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead, according to local campaign information.
- 1 August 2026 — Wrawby Street, Brigg, according to North Lincolnshire Council information.
- 9 August 2026 — Fairfax Avenue, Hull, according to local reporting and notices.
- Later in 2026 — further Morrisons Daily sites, subject to consultation and local confirmation.
For shoppers, that means the most reliable source is still the local store notice, followed by the official Post Office branch finder for postal services. A shop may keep trading for a short period after reports appear, while a Post Office counter may have a separate final service date.
Why Post Office branches are part of the story
The Post Office issue is the main reason these closures have drawn more local anger than a standard convenience store shutdown. In many communities, the Post Office is located inside the Morrisons Daily shop. If the host store closes and no nearby retailer takes over the counter, the branch can disappear from that neighbourhood.
“Our retail partner, Morrisons, have reviewed their Morrisons Daily store operations and, subject to colleague consultation, are proposing to close their store.”
That Post Office position means residents are not only asking where they will buy milk, bread or household basics. They are asking where older people, disabled residents and non-drivers will handle parcels, returns, bill payments and cash access.
In Hull, the Fairfax Avenue branch has become a local flashpoint because the closure could leave Bricknell ward without a Post Office counter. In Brigg, North Lincolnshire Council has advertised an opportunity for another retailer to take on Post Office services after the planned closure of the Wrawby Street Morrisons Daily. In Hemel Hempstead, residents have backed a petition to protect the Grovehill Post Office service.
For some households, the Post Office counter is the only local service that combines parcels, payments and basic banking in one short journey.
What Morrisons supermarket store closures mean for staff
Hundreds of Morrisons staff are expected to be affected by the Morrisons supermarket store closures, but “at risk” does not mean every worker will automatically lose their job. It means the company must complete consultation before final decisions are made on redundancies, redeployment and closing dates.
Morrisons has said it will try to find alternative roles for affected colleagues where possible. In practice, that depends on the local area: whether there is a nearby Morrisons supermarket, petrol station shop, Morrisons Daily franchise store or another vacancy within reasonable travelling distance.
The key questions for workers are whether consultation has finished, whether another role is available nearby, whether the hours and pay are similar, and whether staff can realistically travel to the alternative site. In towns with several Morrisons locations, redeployment may be easier. In smaller communities where the affected Morrisons Daily is the only local branch, redundancy risk may be higher.
What shoppers should do before Morrisons Daily branches close
For shoppers who use Morrisons Daily mainly for food, the closure may mean switching to another convenience shop, supermarket or delivery service. The bigger problem is for customers who rely on a combined Morrisons Daily and Post Office branch.
Before July and August closures begin, customers should check the notice inside their local Morrisons Daily, use the official Post Office branch finder to find the nearest alternative counter, and follow updates from local councils, MPs and community groups campaigning for replacement services.
The alternatives may not offer the same access. A parcel locker does not replace a full Post Office counter. A larger supermarket may not be walkable. A nearby branch may have shorter opening hours, fewer services, poor accessibility or longer queues once displaced customers start using it.
Why Morrisons closures matter beyond one supermarket chain
The Morrisons closures come as UK supermarkets face heavy pressure from wage costs, employer National Insurance, rent, energy bills, food price competition and weaker footfall in some high street locations. Smaller convenience stores are especially vulnerable because they have lower basket sizes, higher running costs per sale and less room to absorb losses.
Morrisons is trying to protect its main supermarket business while keeping stronger convenience sites open, including franchise-backed Morrisons Daily shops. That distinction matters: a company-owned loss-making Morrisons Daily can close while another franchised Morrisons Daily nearby continues trading.
The McColl’s legacy is also central to the story. Morrisons bought McColl’s out of administration in 2022 and quickly inherited a large neighbourhood store estate. Many shops were converted to the Morrisons Daily format, but not every site had the right location, sales volume or cost base to survive long term. The closure programme is therefore less about Morrisons quitting convenience retail and more about removing weaker stores from a network built through a rescue deal.
What is still not known about the Morrisons closure list
The biggest missing detail is the full list of around 100 affected stores. Morrisons has not published every closure location, so national reports should avoid presenting unconfirmed branches as final.
Several questions remain open: which Morrisons Daily stores are on the full list, what the final trading date is for each branch, when Post Office counters inside affected stores will stop operating, how many workers will be redeployed, and how many will eventually be made redundant.
It is also not yet clear whether replacement Post Office operators will be found in areas such as Hull, Brigg, Hemel Hempstead and other communities where the counter service is tied to a closing Morrisons Daily store.
For now, the confirmed picture is clear but incomplete. The Morrisons supermarket store closures mainly affect smaller Morrisons Daily convenience shops, several closures also put Post Office counters at risk, the first named shutdowns are expected in July and August 2026, and local campaigns are already trying to keep essential services open.
Morrisons supermarket store closures FAQ
Is Morrisons closing all Morrisons Daily stores?
No. Morrisons is not closing the whole Morrisons Daily network. The company is closing around 100 weaker or loss-making sites, while many other Morrisons Daily stores, including franchise branches, are expected to continue trading.
Has Morrisons published the full closure list?
No. Morrisons has not published a complete public list of all around 100 stores. The safest wording is that several locations have been confirmed, while other closures are emerging through local notices, Post Office updates, MPs, councillors and community campaigns.
Why are Post Office branches affected by Morrisons closures?
Some Post Office counters operate inside Morrisons Daily stores. If the host shop closes and no nearby retailer takes over the Post Office service, the branch at that location can close too.
Which areas are already affected?
Named locations include Hull, Guisborough, Loftus, Middlesbrough, Redcar, South Driffield and York. Local reports also identify Brigg and Grovehill in Hemel Hempstead as affected.
What should shoppers do before their local Morrisons Daily closes?
Customers should check in-store notices, use the official Post Office branch finder, plan ahead for parcels, bill payments, banking and cash withdrawals, and follow local council or MP updates about possible replacement Post Office services.
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