The Waitrose supermarket in Ipswich Corn Exchange is closing, putting 16 staff at risk of redundancy.
The store, which opened in 2012 in the ground floor of the Corn Exchange, will close on December 6.
A review of the company’s store estate found that challenging trading conditions meant the store was difficult to make profitable in the long-term.
The Corn Exchange store is among four closing across the country. Stores in Caldicot and Shrewsbury will also close while Waitrose is selling its Wolverhampton store to Tesco.
The Waitrose supermarket in Futura Park, Ipswich, will remain open.
Bérangère Michel, executive director of customer service for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “Closing any of our shops is always a last resort and is not a reflection on the dedication of our Partners in Caldicot, Ipswich Corn Exchange, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.
“Sadly, we have not been able to find a way to make these shops profitable in the long-term, despite the hard work of everyone involved.
“Our priority now is the wellbeing and future of our Partners in these shops. We will do everything we can to support them and explore opportunities wherever possible for those who may wish to remain with the Partnership.”
A spokesman for Ipswich Borough Council said: “We will be sorry to see Waitrose leave, however, we will look to welcome a new use into the unit as soon as possible.”
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All staff at the Corn Exchange store will be paid statutory redundancy payments, while those who have worked with the business for more than a year will be entitled to an additional redundancy package equivalent to two weeks’ pay for every year of service.
Anyone who has worked for the store for less than a year will be paid an extra weeks wages.
Waitrose is also offering staff at risk of redundancy up to £3,000 to retrain and a three month support programme.
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