Morrisons eyes expansion in south as snaps up Blockbuster stores Morrisons hopes to have at least 70 convenience stores by the end of 2013, while it is expected to announce the latest move towards a full-scale online food delivery service alongside its annual results on March 14. Gordon Mowat, managing director of Morrisons Convenience, said: "We are rolling out the Morrisons M local estate at pace this year and these acquisitions give us a kickstart in securing a solid foothold in this key sector. The convenience market is growing as more people shop locally and we want to be in a position to take advantage of this. Many of the Blockbuster stores are located in the South East - an area where Morrisons is keen to increase its presence - and are expected to open for trading by the end of the summer. The stores bought are among the 164 stores earmarked for closure by Deloitte last week, which threatens around 800 jobs and comes on top of the 168 shop closures and 760 job cuts already announced. Blockbuster, which had 528 staff and employed 4,190 staff, collapsed into administration last month after struggling to adapt to the changing market and rivalry from internet retailers including Netflix, Amazon's LoveFilm and iTunes, which now offers a movie rental service.