Losing hope on the high street

So it’s more bad news for the high street just before Christmas with Debenhams due to close after more than 200 years and Philip Green’s Arcadia group going into administration, with the total loss of around 25,000 jobs.

What is going to happen when there are no jobs for people, as the retail sector is already in decline? These two businesses were already struggling due to lack of investment and not keeping up with the move to online shopping but Covid was the final nail in the coffin.

I wonder if Philip Green – I refuse to call him Sir – will spare a thought for his staff who face an uncertain future while he suns himself on his luxury Christmas break on his £100million yacht?

M Rourke, Leeds

It seems obvious Sir Philip Green doesn’t give a monkey’s about any of his loyal staff. While he goes off on another luxury holiday many of his workers face the dole queue. It seems to me he ran down his Arcadia concerns with too little investment and sat back and watched them crumble while extracting as much money as possible from the business.

I am left scratching my head as to why this man still holds on to his knighthood. So much for Christmas cheer on the high street. Brian Scully, Wigan

We British don’t hold it against someone just because they’ve hey’ve done well financially. But we do if it impacts adversely on others. Sir Philip Green’s rise in this respect pect has often left others in a disadvantaged

position. While no crime may have been committed, many regard his actions unfair and not abiding by the high moral or ethical standards expected of a knight of the realm. Howard Gardner

Sale, Gtr Manchester

Sir Philip Green has done it again. Five years ago, the billionaire sold the BHS stores group for £1 after he and his wife took all they possibly could out of the business.

Green was forced to plug the gap with the BHS pension scheme after staff lost everything through no fault of their own. Now, with the collapse of Arcadia, he is blaming the pandemic when in reality the business has struggled for years.

Some 11,000 BHS staff lost their jobs in 2016 thanks largely to the Green’s greed and 13,000 more are at risk now for much the same reason. But he still lords it over those who’ve lost everything by keeping his knighthood.

A Smith, March, Cambs

Sir Philip Green has bled his businesses dry to the extent that when the pandemic

came they couldn’t survive. This was the final nail in the coffin for the rescue package for Debenhams because of the tie up with Arcadia.

I doubt Green will lose any sleep over this, he will simply carry on living a life of obscene luxury while his staff face unemployment in the New Year.

Tony Howard Salford, Gtr Manchester

How is it that hundreds of millions were found to rescue the banks following the 2008 financial crash but nobody is attempting to save retail jobs? After all, it’s not that they lack customers.

Their demise will leave a huge hole in the high street.

Lynn Manning Dagenham, Gtr London

It’s terribly sad that more famous high street names are to disappear.

Soon there will be nothing left in our once thriving town centres except empty shops, discount stores and charity shops.

Somethin Something must be done about it – and quickly. quic

Ann Baxter, Newcastle