An extensive review of the business will see about 30 stores and two distribution centres close in the next three years.
‘‘These are not decisions we have taken lightly and we regret the impact this will have on affected team members,’’ a Woolworths Group spokesperson said.
And while the mass shutdowns are expected to hit regional areas hardest, the spokesperson said details of closure locations would not be released due to ongoing discussions with landlords.
‘‘We want to emphasise this review has never been focused solely on our regional stores but our entire network,’’ they said.
‘‘In the interim, all Big W stores will continue to trade as normal. The majority of our store network is set to remain open and we’re committed to doing the right thing for our team in impacted stores.
‘‘We will inform our team members, customers and community stakeholders well in advance of changes to any specific store.’’
Echuca’s Big W manager declined to comment.
The spokesperson said the decisions would ‘‘create a stronger and more sustainable store and distribution centre network that better reflects the rapidly changing retail environment’’.
‘‘We understand the announcement, without confirmation specifics, will create some uncertainty for our teams and the communities in which we operate, particularly regional areas,’’ they said.
AAP reported the supermarket giant would take a $370 million hit in its full-year results, composed of $270 million in lease and exit costs for closing about 16 per cent of its store network, plus $100 million of non-cash asset impairments.
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