Kentish Express Ashford & District
Bargain stores spared as chains hit by virus
A bargain retailer will not be shutting its Ashford stores after announcing plans to temporarily close nearly 50 of its branches during the coronavirus outbreak.
B&M Bargains has 656 stores across the UK and will be closing 49 of them after a review of its finances.
Kent has a total of 13 B&M stores, which have all be spared closure.
The Ashford stores are at Ashford Retail Park and the site of the former Woolworths in the High Street.
B&M confirmed this week that stores closing their doors would include a number of smaller outlets and ones located in shopping centres. It added that 42 of the 49 stores due to shut are close to other larger B&M stores.
The retailer has been allowed to continue trading under government guidelines as an essential store but said it took the decision after reviewing its finances for the last quarter.
A spokesman said: “We will review the trading patterns on an ongoing basis and intend to re-open those stores as soon as normal shopping patterns resume.”
The government has said there is help being made available to businesses during the coronavirus outbreak but several big firms have called in administrators since the crisis began.
Some retailers were in trouble before the pandemic took hold but the closure of many non-essential shops has pushed many over the edge.
Debenhams, which closed in Ashford and Folkestone earlier this year, is on the brink of collapse after bosses confirmed it has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators.
The struggling department store was reportedly considering the move last week to protect the company against legal claims from creditors during the coronavirus outbreak.
The department store went into administration in April last year, resulting in the closure of four stores in the county, the other two being Canterbury and Chatham.
The remaining Kent branches are at Westwood Cross, Thanet, and at Gravesend.
Fashion giant Laura Ashley, which has a branch in Tenterden High Street filed for administration after rescue talks were thwarted by the outbreak.
British fashion brand Cath Kidston, which has a branch at Ashford Designer Outlet, had been seeking a buyer and filed a notice last week to appoint Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) as administrator on April 3.
BrightHouse, which has a branch in County Square, Ashford, collapsed at the end of March, putting thouands of jobs at risk.
It forced the firm to close all its stores - including its branches in Kent, which includes outlets in Margate, Folkestone, Ashford, Chatham, Dover, Ramsgate and Dartford.
At the end of last month, popular Mexican restaurant chain Chiquito moved to bring in administrators because of coronavirus losses.
The move could permanently close all of its Kent branches.
Chiquito, which is owned by parent company The Restaurant Group, has three sites across the county, including Eureka Park in Ashford.
Of the chain’s 81 nationwide stores, 61 will be permanently shutting but a further 20 sites not owned by Chiquito Ltd will not be impacted.
A spokesman for The Restaurant Group - which also owns Wagamama and Frankie and Benny’s - said: “Covid-19 has had an immediate and significant impact on trading across the group.”
‘Covid-19 has had a significant impact’