Nearly all Yorkshire stores to stay open as Poundland ‘ hibernates’

POUNDLAND IS to keep all but one of its Yorkshire stores open after deciding to hibernate 44 stores.

Only the Beverley Flemingate shopping centre will be put into temporary hibernation, meaning that its stores in Leeds, Hull, Sheffield, York, Bradford, Harrogate,

Doncaster, Halifax, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Bingley, Rotherham, Skipton, Barnsley, Mexborough, Keighley, Castleford, Pontefract, Wakefield, Scarborough, Bridlington and Whitby will stay open.

Poundland has identified Yorkshire as a key area for the company. A spokesman said: “While we’re temporarily closing one store in the region, our colleagues in stores that remain open across Yorkshire are working hard to serve their communities with the essentials they need.”

Poundland said it is replicating the measures it took during the lockdowns of 2020, by placing 44 of its 800 plus stores into temporary hibernation from the end of trading today.

The temporary measure reflects the 80 per cent drop in footfall at some shopping centres and high streets as the lockdown rules across the UK take effect.

The firm said the move will protect the business in the short term, and helps ensure it is well positioned once the UK emerges from the pandemic.

Announcing the closures, Poundland said the move would allow it to focus on its larger stores.

The company said workers will be placed on to the Government’s furlough scheme where appropriate.

In the first 2020 lockdown, Poundland hibernated around 120 stores in March and was able to start reopening them from the end of May.