THE Woolworths Group will close about 16 per cent of its BIG W store network in three years in an attempt to make the business stronger and more sustainable.
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About 30 BIG W stores are expected to shut over the next three years, as well as two distribution centres.
It is not yet known which stores will close.
"Details of store closure locations will not be released due to ongoing discussions with landlords," a Woolworths Group spokesperson said.
"In the interim all BIG W stores will continue to trade as normal."
The announcement follows a review of the business, which is expected to report a loss of $60 - 100 million at the end of the financial year.
It follows a $110 million loss in 2017-18.
"As foreshadowed at our half-year 2019 results, while the recovery in trading for BIG W is encouraging and there remains further opportunity for improvement, the speed of conversion to earnings improvement is taking longer than planned," Woolworths Group chief executive Brad Banducci said.
"We understand the impact that the store and distribution centre closures will have on our team and will endeavour to provide affected team members with alternative employment options within the Woolworths Group where possible."
A spokesperson for the group said team members, customers and community stakeholders would be informed of changes to any specific store well in advance.
"We understand the announcement, without confirmation of specific stores, will create some uncertainty for our teams and the communities in which we operate, particularly in regional areas," the Woolworths Group spokeperson said.
"We want to emphasise this review has never been focused solely on our regional stores but our entire network."
The spokesperson said the company had not taken the decisions likely.
"We regret the impact this will have on affected team members," they said.
"We have made these decisions to create a stronger and more sustainable store and distribution centre network that better reflects the rapidly changing retail environment.
"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."
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