Around 4,500 workers have been warned their jobs are at risk, with Tesco planning a fresh round of redundancies.
The supermarket has said the majority of the posts will be cut from its medium-sized Metro stores, adding that others at the smaller Express branches and larger superstores will also be affected.
Bosses are planning to overhaul the Metro brand, with 70% of customers using the shops to pick up single items or small top-up shops rather than bigger baskets.
It is not yet known exactly where the axe will fall, but there are Metro locations in Inverness, Aviemore, Fort William, Banff and Newtonhill.
A statement released by the firm said: “The Metro format was originally designed for larger, weekly shops, but today nearly 70% of customers use them as convenience stores, buying food for that day.”
Among the proposed changes to stores is a move to keep fewer products in backroom warehouses, with more being delivered straight to the shop floor instead.
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Plans for a “leaner” management structure are also being considered, while workers will be given headsets to help them communicate more easily between departments.
Tesco has announced that in 134 of its Express stores will have their opening hours reduced due to low footfall.
Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and Ireland chief executive, said: “In a challenging, evolving retail environment, with increasing cost pressures, we have to continue to review the way we run our stores to ensure we reflect the way our customers are shopping and do so in the most efficient way.
“We do not take any decision which impacts colleagues lightly, but have to make sure we remain relevant for customers and operate a sustainable business now and in the future.”
Earlier this year the supermarket announced it would be slashing 9,000 posts as part of a cost-cutting measure which also included the closure of some stores’ deli counters.
Shopworkers’ union Usdaw, which represents over 160,000 Tesco staff, is now calling for the UK Government to tackle the “crisis” currently facing the retail sector.
National officer Pauline Foulkes said: “Our members at Tesco are shocked and dismayed by yet another round of potential job losses.
“We will be working hard to make sure that any members potentially affected by these proposals are supported at this difficult time and throughout the consultation period.
“This issue is not confined to Tesco, our high streets are in crisis, with jobs being lost due to shops closing, retailers folding and businesses engaging in significant restructuring to survive.
“We need the government to address the worries and concerns of shopworkers and our members.”
