Tesco scrapping 24-hour shopping at '˜one in four big stores'

A total of 76 stores will now revert back to shutting at midnight after Tesco bosses conceded it is not doing enough trade during the night and the concept is financially damaging the firm.

The cutback comes as Tesco supremo boss Dave Lewis attempts to win back customers who have flocked to discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl.

It is not yet clear which stores make up the 76 which will be scrapping 24-hour shopping. The move to reduce the number of 24-hour stores comes 20 years after the first Tesco opened through the night.

In London, Tesco’s Lewisham superstore and Woolwich Extra store will end overnight shopping in March or April. Around 300 stores will remain open 24 hours, but could be shut overnight if they too are unsustainable.

Tony Hoggett, retail director for Tesco, said: “We’re always thinking about how to serve our customers better in each of our stores and with the growth of online grocery shopping, these stores saw very few customers during the night. It makes much more sense for colleagues at those stores to focus on replenishing the shelves instead and making sure they’re fully stocked when they open at 6am.”

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