Double blow as two Parkway stores heading towards closure
NEWBURY looks set to lose more high street stores after it was announced that Debenhams was being wound down, while Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia group collapsed into administration.
On Monday, it was confirmed Arcadia – owner of many high street clothing retailers, including Topshop and Topman in Newbury’s Parkway shopping centre – was going into administration, putting 13,000 jobs at risk.
The following day, historic store Debenhams – which has been operating for 240 years and also has a flagship store in Parkway – announced that it was to be wound down after Christmas, with the loss of up to 12,000 jobs and closure of 124 stores.
The news is a further double blow to Newbury town centre following the recent closures of John Lewis in Parkway and Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Trespass in Northbrook Street.
Newbury MP Laura Farris said the news just before Christmas was devastating.
She said: “My thoughts are with the employees of both Debenhams and Arcadia today – this is awful news to receive just before Christmas.
“Both companies have been struggling for quite some time.
“Debenhams has been in administration since April and should it close, my office will be ready to provide support to all former employees get back to work.”
With the UK’s unemployment figures rapidly rising, Mrs Farris expressed her concern that the latest news was just a sign of the times for the nation’s high streets, and that the Government was putting additional plans in place to help the unemployed.
She continued: “While both Debenhams and the Arcadia Group have each been facing long-term challenges, I am concerned that this latest news is representative of a wider pressure felt by all of our high street stores.
“Shifts in consumer behaviour, coupled with the rise of online shopping has had a huge impact on the footfall in our local stores, and while Covid-19 has accelerated these factors, it was sadly not the cause.
“For those who do lose their job, the Government is currently doubling the number of work coaches through Job Centre Plus to 27,000, while also boosting the Department for Work and Pensions rapid response service to get people back into work.
“I hope that the imminent deployment of the Pfizer vaccine will help alleviate pressure on our high street and provide a much-needed boost to our local businesses.”
Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership chief executive Alison Webster said: “News of the collapse of more of our favourite high street retailers is heartbreaking, especially for the many dedicated employees that have strived to keep these businesses going in the face of increasing pressures.
“The prospect of being out of work can be extremely daunting, especially when the retail sector is facing continued challenges and retail jobs may be scarce.
“My message to retail workers is that there is demand for your skills and there are opportunities to thrive in a rewarding career.
“The good news is that there are currently over 2,000 live job vacancies online at Berkshire Opportunities, with diverse roles across a range of industries – and particularly in healthcare and technology.”
Newbury BID chief executive
Melissa Hughes said: “The recent announcements about the future of both Debenhams and the Arcadia Group come as a huge blow to high streets everywhere and will of course have an impact in Newbury.
“However, it’s no secret that these retailers have been struggling for years and their demise has unfortunately been accelerated this year by the pandemic.
“High streets are evolving and, here in Newbury, we already know we need to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and focus on attracting a wide range of business types to the town centre.
“It’s been fantastic to see new and existing businesses invest in the town even during this most challenging of times, with venues such as Zed Adventures’ Airsoft, High Score Family Entertainment Arcade, the Cross Keys pub, and The Globe’s fabulous indoor garden extension all opening in recent months.
“We want to see even more of this positive investment and we will be doing everything we can to help the right businesses choose Newbury as their next location.
“I certainly don’t see the future for Newbury town centre as bleak – it’s simply different as it continues to evolve in line with consumers’ needs and desires.”