700 to lose jobs at British supermarket

London, April 10 (IANS) Nearly 700 jobs could be cut at a supermarket chain in Britain as it replaces manual cash counting by machines, BBC reported.

The Bradford-based Morrisons chain has started a four-week consultation with 689 cash office managers and supervisors in its 490 stores across the country.

"The new technology will simplify the operation," the company said.

Morrisons has been under pressure to cut costs after its profits fell by seven percent in 2012. Morrisons employs around 131,000 staff.

In February, the company announced it was buying 49 Blockbuster stores to use for its M Local smaller store format, which it said would create 1,000 jobs.