Coronavirus: Poundland set to close 44 high street stores
Poundland has announced that it will temporarily close 44 of its stores from Saturday (9 January), replicating the measures it took during the first lockdown in March last year.
The chain, which is allowed to trade during the current third lockdown as it is an essential retailer, will place outlets across the UK into “hibernation”.
Austin Cooke, Poundland’s retail director, said: "We learned valuable lessons during the lockdown in March about how buying patterns change as people stick to government advice to stay at home.
"Putting a small number of stores into hibernation helps protect them for the long term and focus our attention on the majority of stores that remain open to serve their neighbourhoods.
"We hope this lockdown is short and we can re-open our hibernating stores as quickly as possible and we remain grateful for the vital support schemes available to us that help protect jobs."
Watch: What is the Job Support Scheme and how has it changed?
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The company said that around 800 stores will remain open but did not confirm when the closed sites will be reopened.
It will place staff members in affected stores on furlough “where appropriate,” protecting those roles for future.
Although Poundland has been allowed to stay open throughout the coronavirus pandemic as it sells food, medicine and other essential goods, it reported an 80% slump in customers visiting some locations at shopping centres and high streets.
The Poundland stores closing down are:
Newark, St Marks Place
Londonderry Ferryquay Street NI
Grantham, Isaac Newton Centre,
Kingston upon Thames Eden Walk
Mansfield Four Seasons SC
Harlow Harvey SC
Lowestoft Britten SC
Colchester Culver Street
Ipswich Sailmakers SC
Ayr High Street
Norwich Castle Mall
Workington Campbell-Savours Way
Newmarket, The Guineas SC
Carlisle Scotch Street
Luton 31 The Mall SC
Dumfries, Loreburne SC
Belfast Castlecourt SC NI
Glasgow Union Street
Newry Buttercrane SC NI
Falkirk Howgate SC
Enniskillen Erneside SC NI
Edinburgh Princes Street
Newry Quays SC NI
Perth St Johns SC
Inverness High Street
Cardiff 121 Queens Street
Kirkcaldy Mercat SC
Bridgwater Angel Place SC
Cramlington Manor Walks SC
Burnley 82 Charter Walk SC
Middlesbrough Captain Cook Square SC
Preston Fishergate Centre
Durham Riverwalk SC
Rochdale Exchange SC
Beverley Flemingate SC
Chester Frodsham Street
Farnham The Borough
Bootle Strand SC
Fareham Market Quay
Solihull High Street
Fareham Whiteley SC
Newcastle under Lyme Castle Walk
Crewe Market St
Merry Hill SC
Watch: How does England feel about a third lockdown?