A SUPERMARKET store is set to get a new lease of life from a major rival after abruptly shutting its doors.
It emerged that a discount retail giant closed one of its branches in Preston, Lancashire, on Sunday, September 10.
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Morrisons made the shocking decision to shut their store in Blackpool Road, near Deepdale Retail Park.
The business is understood to have negotiated a deal with supermarket rival Tesco to take over the store this month.
Bosses said the closure is the results of months of “unsustainable performance”.
A spokesperson said: “We have agreed to sell our Blackpool Road store in Preston to Tesco.
“Morrisons customers are well served in Preston with our popular Riversway store which is nearby.”
The supermarket was initially scheduled to shut its doors on Friday, September 29, but workers emptied shelves three weeks earlier to allow the new Tesco time for renovations.
Customers are expected to walk into the band new shop soon as works have already started this week after Morrisons vacated the site ahead of schedule.
The Preston branch is part of three of the chain’s shops to close across the UK – with the other two in Bolton Breighmet and Faversham.
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There are currently 1,276 stores in the UK – with more than 1,000 only in England.
Although it’s not yet known how many jobs have been lost, the company said workers are set to be transferred to Tesco.
They also reassured warehouse drivers that they will be offered jobs in a different branch.
A spokesperson said: “All colleagues who wish to will transfer across to Tesco and all drivers will be assigned to another nearby Morrisons store.
“We wish Tesco and our colleagues well with the store.”
Tesco and Morrisons have been approached for comment.
It comes as Morrisons’ branch in Breightmet, Bolton, closed down on Sunday, September 17.
The supermarket giant confirmed the store would be closing in July but the exact date has only just been revealed.
Meanwhile, another discount supermarket with more than 300 stores is to abruptly close one of its branches within days.
The Farmfoods store in Market Street, Huddersfield, is to close on Sunday, September 24.
Elsewhere, the Morrisons store in the Crossmyloof area of the city has been shut since the bank holiday weekend.
Concerned locals took to social media and asked why the busy branch wasn’t open to customers.
A spokesperson for Morrisons said: “There was a small electrical fire at our Crossmyloof store in Glasgow over the weekend but thankfully no one was hurt.”
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