MORE than 100 workers face a bleak Christmas after Safeway confirmed a city centre store will close in two weeks’ time.

A few of the 112-strong workforce at the store at St George's Place in Canterbury will be transferred to the other city store in Wincheap, but the majority will be made redundant when the supermarket closes on Saturday, November 26.

The final chapter in the store’s 21-year life was probably written when Morrisons bought the Safeway empire for £2.9 million in January, 2003. Since then they have closed 200 stores and converted 208 others from Safeway to Morrisons as shares fell.

The St George’s Place site has been put up for sale but there have been no takers.

The pharmacy section will remain open. Once the store closes, access will be through the main door to a cordoned-off route. Pharmacy staff have been told that Morrisons are close to finding a buyer of that section and they are guaranteed jobs with a new employer when the deal goes through.

Gary Bolton, press officer for Morrisons, said in a statement: "After careful consideration and much deliberation a decision has been made to close the Canterbury store. We plan to close on November 26 but in the meantime we will continue to trade as usual.

"We are currently in negotiations with a potential purchaser of the pharmacy operation. We hope to make a successful sale. If this is the case, all pharmacy staff will, on completion of the agreement, transfer to the new owner with their current terms and conditions of employment.

“We value the experience of our staff and will look firstly to re-deploy people to vacancies in local stores. If this is not possible, or if no suitable vacancies are available, then the company redundancy policy will apply."

Mr Bolton did not comment on the future of other businesses at the site, whose properties are leased from Morrisons.

First casualty

Kengate dry cleaners in the St George's Centre has become the first casualty of the closure.

The company has decided not to renew its lease because of the uncertainty of the site and the shop will close at the end of business on Saturday with the loss of four jobs.

Other businesses in the centre including the AK Newsagents, Canterbury Cameras and Canterbury Hi-Fi have leases of varying lengths and are expected to continue trading for the time being. But they too are anxious about their future.

Yan Cowley, of Canterbury Cameras, said: "Our lease is coming to an end but we would like to stay here if a new supermarket or similar retailer takes over the site."

Phil Ritson, who owns Canterbury Hi Fi, added: "I have four years left on my lease and would also like to stay. But there is no doubt that, although we have many loyal customers, without the supermarket our business is going to suffer."