28 jobs to go as Poundworld closing both of its Shrewsbury stores as part of nationwide cull
Nearly 30 shop workers in Shrewsbury are to lose their jobs with the closure of the town's two Poundworld stores – part of a cull of 80 branches nationwide.
A total of more than 1,000 people will lose their jobs when the stores close next weekend, administrators from accountancy Deloitte revealed today.
A total of 28 staff work at the branch at Pride Hill Shopping Centre and Meole Brace Retail Park in Shrewsbury.
Attempts to rescue the collapsed budget retail chain have so far failed and today's move follows the announcement of 25 store closures earlier this week.
Deloitte says the latest 80 stores will be closed between Friday, July 20, and Sunday July 22. It will leave 230 stores open.
That includes its last remaining store in Shropshire, on the Wrekin Retail Park in Telford.
The 1,024 redundancies will bring the total jobs toll so far to 1,366, including 100 at the head office and 240 from the first set of store closures earlier this week.
Joint administrator Clare Boardman said: “Whilst we remain hopeful that a sale for part, or parts, of the business can still happen, it has not been possible to sell the business as a whole. We would like to thank all the employees for their continued support and commitment during this difficult time. We are keeping staff appraised of developments as they happen.”
Clare Boardman and Daniel Butters, restructuring partners at Deloitte, were appointed as joint administrators to the company on June 11. At that time the company ran with 335 stores, a head office and distribution centre at Normanton near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, and employed around 5,100 people.
Deloitte said the closure of the stores would not affect the potential sale of part, or parts, of the remaining business, "with discussions continuing with interested parties". This includes deals for the head office and distribution centre. The administrators say they will "continue to progress these discussions over the coming days".
Hopes of salvaging the beleauguered retailer have faded in recent days.
Deloitte last week turned down a bid for Poundworld from its founder, Chris Edwards, who was looking to save a raft of stores and safeguard around 3,000 jobs.
On Monday there were reports that the founder of Black Country-based rival Poundland, Steve Smith, was in early-stage talks about a bid to salvage part of Poundworld out of administration. But Mr Smith, the former Willenhall market trader who sold Poundland for £50m with his father in 2002, has not commented on the claims.
