Landlords ‘need to take pain also’ as Halfords closes up
The confirmation of the closure of the Sligo Halfords branch has been described as another incremental blow to the local retail base by local Sinn Féin Councillor Thomas Healy.
“I have been negotiating with senior Halfords management since last Thursday when I was contacted by members of the public with regard to the closure of the store,” stated Cllr Healy.
“Management have confirmed that they will contact their customer base this week with regard to deposits and outstanding orders. They have also agreed to offer staff redeployment but this is not a realistic option due to the distance involved.
“This is another incremental blow to Sligo’s retail base, we have now lost Monsoon, Mango and Accessorize as well as Halfords. Whilst the Covid -19 crisis has had a huge detrimental effect the worry is that the looming Brexit scenario also has an influence on these shops.
“In Halfords case the lease was due for renewal this month, retail landlords have to realise that they need to share the pain arising from recent events and the burden of lost sales has to be shared also.
“The last thing we need now is the spectre of retail vacancy rates rising, each loss reduces the footfall and has a detrimental knock on effect.
“I am calling on Halfords to ensure that their nine loyal staff are afforded all statutory rights and are also supported by Halfords themselves in compensation, retraining and up skilling.
“It is now incumbent on our four T.Ds, local Councillors and the County Council to work in a pro-active and pragmatic manner with businesses and landlords to support the retail base. A business with concerns should have open access to help and advice before things get worse for them. Re-opening retail is only the first step but supporting it to recover and evolve will be an ongoing process.”