‘It just sucks’ concern at plight of McColl’s store
MCCOLL’S convenience stores are set to be saved from closure by Morrisons.
Morrisons is to rescue the collapsed retailer after the supermarket giant beat a rival bid from the billionaire owners of Asda.
The successful deal from Morrisons comes after its early approaches had reportedly been rejected by lenders who preferred EG’s offer to instantly repay more than £160m in debts from McColl’s.
It is believed that Morrisons has now said it will also repay the lenders in cash.
It comes after residents reacted with dismay and concern to the announcement that convenience chain McColl’s has gone bust putting shops and thousands of jobs at risk.
The convenience chain said last Thursday that it was looking ‘increasingly likely’ it could fall into administration, putting the future of 1,100 shops and 16,000 employees at risk.
However, shoppers outside McColl’s Ormskirk store reacted strongly to the news on the weekend, with many expressing concern that any possible closures would leave communities and the elderly in the lurch.
At McColl’s store in Ormskirk, based at Edge Hill University, many students said they used McColl’s several times a day.
Rhys Tamborski, 22, originally from Coventry, who is studying Maths and Education and hoping to be a teacher told the Advertiser: “I use it often here, when I’m on campus I think something else will come along in its place, but I feel sorry for the people affected; I hope they can offer them jobs. Fingers crossed they can.”
Leyton Cory, 19, of Manchester,
said the store was expensive but convenient, adding: “I’ve been three times today already, and they definitely need a shop on campus.
“If you go home for a week and come back Sunday night, it’s handy.”
Jenny Tallentine, 21, of Hertfordshire, who has just finished studying sociology and education said: “I have used it a lot as if it’s easier than going to town to get bits for dinner and I think it will definitely be harder for people to get their shopping if they don’t have a shop on campus.”
Luke Kavanagh, 18, who lives in Liverpool and is studying English was pragmatic, saying he used it regularly between classes but thought it would be replaced. He said: “I have lived off campus but when I come up, I do use it regularly. I go there to buy soft drinks between classes, and it’s really handy; I assume they will replace it with something else.”
But a young member of staff at the campus store who did not wish to be named expressed dismay, saying: “It just sucks - but a lot of companies have gone down recently due to Covid so I suppose we are no different.”