GENSOCIAL
Discount chain Poundland says it will close 44 of its UK stores this weekend.
The firm is allowed to open as an ‘essential trader’ during the third lockdown – but said many of its outlets across the UK will be put into temporary “hibernation” after they close on Saturday.
That will allow the company to focus on its larger stores in busier areas, with colleagues at the closing stores to be put on furlough, as the Mirror reports.
It follows an 80% drop in footfall since the start of the pandemic, after shopping centres and high streets were forced to close their doors.
Closures span most regions of the UK entire country, including Wales and Northern Ireland.
Austin Cooke, Poundland’s retail director said: “We learned valuable lessons during the lockdown in March about how buying patterns change as people stick to government advice to stay at home.
“Putting a small number of stores into hibernation helps protect them for the long term and focus our attention on the majority of stores that remain open to serve their neighbourhoods.
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“We hope this lockdown is short and we can re-open our hibernating stores as quickly as possible and we remain grateful for the vital support schemes available to us that help protect jobs.”
Around 800 Poundland stores will remain open, the company said.
The following branches will temporarily close their doors from Sunday, January 10.
- Newark, St Marks Place
- Londonderry Ferryquay Street NI
- Grantham, Isaac Newton Centre,
- Kingston upon Thames Eden Walk
- Mansfield Four Seasons SC
- Harlow Harvey SC
- Lowestoft Britten SC
- Colchester Culver Street
- Ipswich Sailmakers SC
- Ayr High Street
- Norwich Castle Mall
- Workington Campbell-Savours Way
- Newmarket, The Guineas SC
- Carlisle Scotch Street
- Luton 31 The Mall SC
- Dumfries, Loreburne SC
- Belfast Castlecourt SC NI
- Glasgow Union Street
- Newry Buttercrane SC NI
- Falkirk Howgate SC
- Enniskillen Erneside SC NI
- Edinburgh Princes Street
- Newry Quays SC NI
- Perth St Johns SC
- Inverness High Street
- Cardiff 121 Queens Street
- Kirkcaldy Mercat SC
- Bridgwater Angel Place SC
- Cramlington Manor Walks SC
- Burnley 82 Charter Walk SC
- Middlesbrough Captain Cook Square SC
- Preston Fishergate Centre
- Durham Riverwalk SC
- Rochdale Exchange SC
- Beverley Flemingate SC
- Chester Frodsham Street
- Farnham The Borough
- Bootle Strand SC
- Fareham Market Quay
- Solihull High Street
- Fareham Whiteley SC
- Newcastle under Lyme Castle Walk
- Crewe Market St
- Merry Hill SC
