Job threat over shutdown
MARKS & Spencer has announced it wants to close its Huddersfield town centre store.
The retailer says it is “consulting with 71 colleagues on the proposed closure” of the store in New Street which it has occupied for 85 years.
Huddersfield is one of 17 more M&S stores earmarked for closure.
A spokeswoman for M&S said the consultation would take as long as it needed to, and customers and the community would be updated “when the time is right.”
She said: “We will speak to each colleague individually about what it means for them.
“We will work hard to offer redeployment. We expect the majority to stay with M&S. If they reasonably turn down any offer of redeployment we expect there will be some redundancies.”
The store is one of the longest established businesses in Huddersfield town centre.
It first opened in 1894, 10 years after it was first founded in Leeds. It closed in 1925, then reopened in its present unit in New Street in 1934.
In a statement it said the plans are part of its programme to reshape its UK store estate, announced in 2016.
Eventually M&S will close, or close and relocate, more than 100 stores.
The spokeswoman added: “More than 80% of colleagues from affected stores have moved with us to new homes within the business.”
The nearest stores to Huddersfield are the Simply Food store in the Gallagher Retail Park at Waterloo; Halifax nine miles away, and Birstall at the Junction 27 retail park 11 miles away.
Paula Varley, M&S head of region for South Yorkshire and East Midlands, said: “Proposing to close M&S Huddersfield has been a difficult decision and we will be fully supporting our colleagues during this process.
“Over the coming weeks we will be speaking to everyone individually about what is right for them.
“We remain committed to serving the community from Halifax and our Huddersfield Simply Food store at Gallagher Retail Park.
“Alongside our food offering, customers visiting these locations will be able to shop for clothing and home in-store or via our Click & Collect service.”