Perth-based utility giant SSE is to close all its Scottish Hydro Electric shops with the loss of up to 119 jobs.
The retail shops sell electrical and white goods and are predominantly sited across the north of the country.
SSE has entered into consultation with all 119 employees affected by the planned closures and will discuss possible redeployment within the SSE group.
It aims to avoid redundancies wherever possible, although if this is unavoidable, enhanced terms will be offered to affected employees during the consultation process.
Stephen Forbes, SSE Director of Domestic Retail, said changing shopping habits and more customer choice mean the shops have now been loss-making for a number of years.
He said: “Customers’ shopping habits have changed considerably since these shops were first opened with more and more people shopping online, especially for larger electrical items.
“We know some of these shops have been on local high streets for a long time so we did not take this decision lightly but footfall and sales have reduced considerably and there is, unfortunately, no realistic prospect of that long-term trend reversing.
All 37 outlets as well as the online shop are due to close permanently by15 May 2016.
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