It’s not just any store that is closing down

RETAILER FEAR LOSS OF M&S SIMPLY FOOD IN RUISLIP WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON FOOTFALL IN THE AREA

A RETAILER has said that the decision to close the Marks & Spencer Simply Food outlet in Ruislip will lead to “the biggest upheaval of the High Street in 15 years”.

Ash, a longstanding shop owner on the High Street was speaking after the decision by Marks & Spencer to close it’s Simply Food Outlet.

The company made the announcement on Thursday, June 7, saying it would not renew the lease on its store after reporting a 61.1% fall in pre-tax profit to £66.8million in the year to March 31.

Around 100 outlets will close by 2022, with the Ruislip store and another in Fulham Island set to close this summer.

However many of the other retailers on Ruislip High Street have spoken out, concerned that losing the M&S will negatively impact their businesses.

Following the visit, members of the Chamber of Commerce alongside MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, Nick Hurd, visited the store and spoke with the staff.

One attendee told us the store was performing well above its targets, leaving staff and the community confused by the announcement.

“I have difficulty in understanding their decision,” said Ash.

“I can’t think of any single business that won’t be affected. Everyone will definitely be negatively affected by footfall reduction.

“The people who come to M&S used public transport to come here and were mostly middle aged and elderly.

“They won’t be coming here anymore and the other businesses will suffer. I heard one of their customers say she was pretty devastated.

“As a retailer I will suffer and other businesses will too. It will be the biggest upheaval business-wise for the high street in the last 15 years.”

As well as affecting businesses on the High Street, Ash believes that the impact will spread to the communities that live and work around the area.

He said that the decrease in footfall would also negatively impact local charities who received donations of food from the M&S store and distributed that among the homeless in the borough.

“I can imagine the impact will be not only in the high street but in Ruislip as a whole. From the parishioners from the church and from the British Legions, to the charities who they would donate the food to at the end of the day. They will all suffer.

“The ramifications of the decision are deep for the local community.”

Speaking after the announcement, Nick Pucci, head of region for London at M&S, said the decision to close down the stores in Ruislip High Street has not been taken lightly.

He said: “The decision not to renew our leases and therefore close our small food stores in Ruislip High Street and Fulham Island was a difficult one to make.”

He added: “We’ve got brilliant teams at both stores, with 40 colleagues at Fulham Island and 35 at Ruislip, and they will all move to nearby M&S stores.

“These include Earls Court, Chelsea Simply Foods, Pinner and Uxbridge ” Pressure Washing & Repairs