The British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer, Tesco Metro will cut 4,500 jobs across 153 Metro stores in UK.

According to the statement issued by the company on its website, the supermarket chain has taken the decision as part of an effort to simplify and reduce processes and administrative tasks across its metro stores.

Jason Tarry, Tesco’s UK and Ireland Chief, shared in media, “In a challenging, evolving retail environment, with increasing cost pressures, we have to continue to review the way we run our stores to ensure we reflect the way our customers are shopping and do so in the most efficient way.

Tesco, which employs about 340,000 people in the UK and Republic of Ireland, said that changes to the stores would now include, faster and simpler ways of filling shelves, with fewer products stored in the back rooms and more stock going straight to the shop floor.

According to the new changes, staff will be allowed to work more flexibly across the store to improve customer service at the busiest times of the day and in the right areas of the store.

Additionally, a leaner management structure is also in the new plan.

Earlier, In January, Tesco announced it would close food counters in 90 of its stores as part of a wider cost-cutting plan that would affect 9,000 staff. Tesco said then that its remaining fish, meat and deli counters in 700 stores would be run on a full-time or flexible basis.