UK supermarket group Wm Morrison has announced that it has exchanged contracts with discount retailer Lidl to sell the Safeway store in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Morrisons said the Safeway book value of the net assets attributable to the store is £5.34m (US$9.79m) and the consideration for the store is in line with Morrisons’ expectations. The deal is subject to the approval of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). 


Lidl plans to redevelop the site over a period of time. 


Morrisons said it is also surrendering the lease on the Safeway store at Bond Street, Leeds, leading to its closure on 13 November.


“The landlord’s objection to a renewal of the existing lease made the sale of the store as a going concern commercially impractical and the Office of Fair Trading has therefore granted consent for the closure,” Morrisons said.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Morrisons was required to divest a total of 52 stores following the deal to acquire Safeway in undertakings given to the Office of Fair Trading in December 2003. Of the 47 disposals (conditional upon OFT approval) agreed to date, 45 will eventually count towards the required total of 52, with the other two being commercial disposals.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact