WM Morrison is preparing to sell about 140 of Safeway’s smaller convenience stores for about £250m following the takeover last week.
Morrison is already believed to have received offers.
Somefield, Big Food Group, Netto and Aldi are thought to be interested.
Morrison declined to comment but the group is known is have little interest in outlets of 15,000 sq ft (1,393 sq m) or less.
The merger of Morrison and Safeway will create a national supermarket chain with 552 stores, although this may fall to about 400 if the sale of the smaller stores goes ahead.
About 1,200 Safeway head office staff are likely to lose their jobs in the next few months and the group’s head office in Hayes, Middlesex, will close in 2005.
References: The Times 22/12/03 page 18 (Broadsheet – Need to Know), page19
