WELWYN GARDEN CITY, United Kingdom – Tesco is changing the way it runs its Express convenience stores, as it continues to improve the shopping trip for its customers and simplify its business. 

The changes follow a successful trial in its Express stores and will increase the overall number of staff serving customers, according to a press release. Such changes include adding 3,300 new shift leader roles, while deputy manager positions will no longer form part of the structure.

The new structure is part of a wider program of transformation to meet customer needs, which has been taking place over the last two years, to help Tesco compete in a rapidly changing retail sector.

Tracey Clements, managing director of convenience at Tesco, said, “To help improve our service to customers in our Express stores, we are aiming to have more of our colleagues on the shop floor, more often. To help achieve this we are creating more than 3,300 shift leader roles which, in turn, means we will no longer have deputy managers. We appreciate that these changes will impact our deputy manager colleagues, and [we] will do everything we can to support them throughout this period.”

This week, approximately 1,700 deputy managers will begin consultation and will be offered new shift leader positions or alternative roles in other Tesco stores.

Tesco currently operates more than 1,800 Express stores across the United Kingdom; the changes will result in a net increase of around 1,500 roles.