Latest news with #ConnswaterShoppingCentre
Scottish Sun
02-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Poundland to shut ANOTHER branch as the exact closure date is revealed – with 200 more at risk
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) POUNDLAND is set to shut another one of its branches for good, with a staggering 200 more stores at risk. Shoppers on Bank Street, Newquay, will be devastated to hear that the popular high street shop will close for good on August 1. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Poundland's branch on Bank Street, Newquay, will close for good on August 1 Credit: Getty Locals have launched a petition to save the store after Poundland issued redundancy notices to staff. Sharon Gill, who launched the petition, wrote: "Many residents count on Poundland for their everyday needs. "The reality for most of us is that we don't have the luxury of a car to travel to nearby towns. "The nearest alternatives in St Austell or Truro are inconveniently far away, and public transport means hours of commute for essentials that should be easily accessible." The petition has gathered 60 signatures so far, but a spokesperson for the bargain chain confirmed the store will be closing after failing to reach terms that could have kept it open. The spokesperson for Poundland added: "It's correct our Newquay store is sadly set to close on 1 August as we've been unable to agree terms that would allow us to keep trading there. "We'd obviously like to thank customers for their continued support over the next couple of months. "It goes without saying whenever we close a store in circumstances like these, we do all we can to look for other opportunities for colleagues and that work is now underway." Poundland also announced it will aid its staff in finding opportunities at nearby stores. It comes after it was reported that up to 200 stores could close as part of Poundland's rescue deal. Walkthrough Poundland's first £1million store Bidding for the business started last week. A source told The Sunday Times that Poundland would be priced at "effectively a pound". Gordon Brothers, the ex-owner of Laura Ashley, and Homebase owner Hilco are reported to be in a two way race to win the chain. A decision on who the preferred bidder is could be announced in the coming days. Polish retail giant Pepco said it expects the sale of Poundland to complete by September. These closures come on top of seven more stores which have been flagged for closure this month. Bosses at Poundland have already called time in a branch in Clapham Junction Station and Copdock Mill Interchange Ipswich. A popular branch in Belle Vale Shopping Centre, Liverpool also closed on May 6. This comes on top of a closure in Brackla Wales which is due to take place on May 24. A few months back, Poundland was forced to close a branch in Belfast after the Connswater Shopping Centre was put into receivership. A branch in Bermondsey, London also closed on May 14. You can see the full list of closures below: St George's Centre, Gravesend – closed last week – closed last week Connswater Shopping Centre, Belfast – closed end of March 2024 – closed end of March 2024 Brackla, Wales – closed May 24 2024 – closed May 24 2024 Macclesfield – closed August 2024 – closed August 2024 Maidenhead – closed October 2024 – closed October 2024 Sutton Coldfield – closed early October 2024 – closed early October 2024 Clapham Junction Station, London – closed May 2 2025 – closed May 2 2025 Belle Vale Shopping Centre, Liverpool – closed May 6 2025 – closed May 6 2025 Southwark Park Road – closed May 14 2025 – closed May 14 2025 Copdock Mill Interchange, Ipswich – closed May 2025 – closed May 2025 Chiswick High Road – closing May 28 2025 – closing May 28 2025 Filton Abbeywood – closing May 31 2025 – closing May 31 2025 Surrey Quays – closing June 11 2025 – closing June 11 2025 Cowes, Isle of Wight – July 2025 (exact date tbc) – July 2025 (exact date tbc) Bank Street, Newquay - Aughts 1 2025 WHAT IS GOING ON AT POUNDLAND Last month, its parent company, Pepco, is said to have hired advisory firm Teneo to oversee the sale of the UK business. It comes after Pepco said it was looking at "all strategic options" to separate Poundland from its brand. The Polish group said it might turn its focus to its more profitable businesses in Europe. Pepco previously warned that upcoming hikes to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and national minimum wage would significantly add to its costs. Late last year, it was revealed that profits at Poundland also tumbled by £641million in the year to September, with bosses again blaming slow sales amid a poor outlook thanks to measures set out by Reeves. A spokesperson also said the huge loss was "due to a non-cash impairment at Poundland that relates to the acquisition of the UK chain in 2016".
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Poundland shutting another three branches with 200 more at risk – see full list of stores closing in days
Read on to see the full list of store closures RETAIL PAIN Poundland shutting another three branches with 200 more at risk – see full list of stores closing in days Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) POUNDLAND is set to close three more stores over the coming weeks with up to 200 stores at risk. The bargain retailer will close a number of branches weeks ahead. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Poundland has plans to shut up to eight stores this month Credit: Simon Jones This includes three branches across Filton, London and Cowes, which are due to begin closing as soon as this Saturday. The South Gloucestershire store is due to shut on May 31 giving shoppers just shy of a week to say their goodbyes. News of the closure came as a shock to locals who described the move as a "shame". Others said they were "gutted" for the staff that work there. A spokesperson for the brand confirmed the closure to The Sun and also said shoppers are welcome to visit nearby sites in Emersons Green Retail Park store or other locations across Bristol. Meanwhile, a branch in Surrey Quays, in London will close on June 11. Finally, a branch in Cowes in the Isle of Wight will close come July. The branch opened back in 2021, so it brings an end to a near four year stint in the area. It comes after it was reported that up to 200 stores could close as part of Poundland's rescue deal. Bidding for the business started last week. A source told The Sunday Times that Poundland would be priced at "effectively a pound." Gordon Brothers, the ex-owner of Laura Ashley and Homebase owner Hilco are reported to be in a two way race to win the chain. Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures A decision on who the preferred bidder is could be announced in the coming days. Polish retail giant Pepco said it expects the sale of Poundland to complete by September. These closures come on top of seven more stores which have been flagged for closure this month. Bosses at Poundland have already called time in a branch in Clapham Junction Station and Copdock Mill Interchange Ipswich. A popular branch in Belle Vale Shopping Centre, Liverpool also closed on May 6. This comes on top of a closure in Brackla Wales which is due to take place on May 24. A few months back, Poundland was forced to close a branch in Belfast after the Connswater Shopping Centre was put into receivership. A branch in Bermondsey, London also closed on May 14. You can see the full list of closures below: St George's Centre, Gravesend – closed last week – closed last week Connswater Shopping Centre, Belfast – closed end of March 2024 – closed end of March 2024 Brackla, Wales – closed May 24 2024 – closed May 24 2024 Macclesfield – closed August 2024 – closed August 2024 Maidenhead – closed October 2024 – closed October 2024 Sutton Coldfield – closed early October 2024 – closed early October 2024 Clapham Junction Station, London – closed May 2 2025 – closed May 2 2025 Belle Vale Shopping Centre, Liverpool – closed May 6 2025 – closed May 6 2025 Southwark Park Road – closed May 14 2025 – closed May 14 2025 Copdock Mill Interchange, Ipswich – closed May 2025 – closed May 2025 Chiswick High Road – closing May 28 2025 – closing May 28 2025 Filton Abbeywood – closing May 31 2025 – closing May 31 2025 Surrey Quays – closing June 11 2025 – closing June 11 2025 Cowes, Isle of Wight – July 2025 (exact date tbc) WHAT IS GOING ON AT POUNDLAND Last month, its parent company Pepco is said to have hired advisory firm Teneo to oversee the sale of the UK business. It comes after Pepco said it was looking at "all strategic options" to separate Poundland from its brand. The Polish group said it might turn its focus to its more profitable businesses in Europe. Pepco previously warned that upcoming hikes to employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and national minimum wage would significantly add to its costs. Late last year, it was revealed that profits at Poundland also tumbled by £641million in the year to September, with bosses again blaming slow sales amid a poor outlook thanks to measures set out by Reeves. A spokesperson also said the huge loss was "due to a non-cash impairment at Poundland that relates to the acquisition of the UK chain in 2016". RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Quite a surprise' to spot 4ft shark swimming in river
A man has said he "couldn't believe" what he was seeing as he went for a bike ride in Victoria Park in east Belfast. On Tuesday evening, Thomas Davidson spotted a 4ft-long starry smooth-hound shark swimming in the Connswater River where the waterway meets Belfast Lough. The species of shark has been seen in other urban areas such as the River Thames and the River Mersey estuary. Dr Patrick Collins, a marine biologist at Queen's University, said while "it's not something you see everyday, it's not something super unusual either". "In the past I would occasionally have seen several 2-3lb mullet follow the tide in, but on this occasion I saw a much larger shape in the water adjacent to Airport Road," Mr Davidson told BBC News NI. He said this shape was "too big to be a mullet", so he stopped to take a closer look. "A dorsal fin slowly broke the surface revealing that familiar profile that looked like a shark," he said. "I quickly took out my phone and started to video this slow-moving fish as it meandered left and right up and downstream, getting mobbed by a few gulls. "I couldn't believe what I was watching." The shark continued swimming in this section of river for about 30 minutes before moving upstream into a shadow area and Mr Davidson lost sight of it. "I felt very lucky to witness such a lengthy sighting and was left curious as to how far upstream it might go," he said. The Connswater River rises in the Castlereagh hills and runs northwards through east Belfast, getting wider until it reaches the sea at Belfast Lough. The river route includes the Connswater Greenway walking route and flows past CS Lewis Square and Connswater Shopping Centre. Mr Davidson said he will "continue to look out for it and others in the future". This type of shark mainly eat crabs and small crustaceans, marine biologist Dr Patrick Collins said. The section of the river in Victoria Park probably contained crabs, and so this shark spotted by Mr Davidson was "probably just having its lunch", he explained. He said it is "not very common to find smooth-hounds in cities, but they have been recorded in the last few years". "It's a little bit unusual if you're walking your dog to find one that close to the city, and that easy to see, but they're not a rare animal," Dr Collins continued. "They're found fairly commonly across the UK and Ireland. It's not an unusual occurrence to have them close to an urban centre because there's sea water there. "It's a bit like seeing a deer in farmland." He added that this type of shark poses no risk to the public. "Because of movies like Jaws and some other strange public perceptions coming from that, there's this idea that all sharks are dangerous animals - they're a type of fish. "These animals pose absolutely no threat to us whatsoever." Woman films 'amazing' shark in river estuary Blue lobster is catch of a lifetime for fisherman Threatened shark served to UK diners
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'Quite a surprise' to spot 4ft shark swimming in river
A man has said he "couldn't believe" what he was seeing as he went for a bike ride in Victoria Park in east Belfast. On Tuesday evening, Thomas Davidson spotted a 4ft-long starry smooth-hound shark swimming in the Connswater River where the waterway meets Belfast Lough. The species of shark has been seen in other urban areas such as the River Thames and the River Mersey estuary. Dr Patrick Collins, a marine biologist at Queen's University, said while "it's not something you see everyday, it's not something super unusual either". "In the past I would occasionally have seen several 2-3lb mullet follow the tide in, but on this occasion I saw a much larger shape in the water adjacent to Airport Road," Mr Davidson told BBC News NI. He said this shape was "too big to be a mullet", so he stopped to take a closer look. "A dorsal fin slowly broke the surface revealing that familiar profile that looked like a shark," he said. "I quickly took out my phone and started to video this slow-moving fish as it meandered left and right up and downstream, getting mobbed by a few gulls. "I couldn't believe what I was watching." The shark continued swimming in this section of river for about 30 minutes before moving upstream into a shadow area and Mr Davidson lost sight of it. "I felt very lucky to witness such a lengthy sighting and was left curious as to how far upstream it might go," he said. The Connswater River rises in the Castlereagh hills and runs northwards through east Belfast, getting wider until it reaches the sea at Belfast Lough. The river route includes the Connswater Greenway walking route and flows past CS Lewis Square and Connswater Shopping Centre. Mr Davidson said he will "continue to look out for it and others in the future". This type of shark mainly eat crabs and small crustaceans, marine biologist Dr Patrick Collins said. The section of the river in Victoria Park probably contained crabs, and so this shark spotted by Mr Davidson was "probably just having its lunch", he explained. He said it is "not very common to find smooth-hounds in cities, but they have been recorded in the last few years". "It's a little bit unusual if you're walking your dog to find one that close to the city, and that easy to see, but they're not a rare animal," Dr Collins continued. "They're found fairly commonly across the UK and Ireland. It's not an unusual occurrence to have them close to an urban centre because there's sea water there. "It's a bit like seeing a deer in farmland." He added that this type of shark poses no risk to the public. "Because of movies like Jaws and some other strange public perceptions coming from that, there's this idea that all sharks are dangerous animals - they're a type of fish. "These animals pose absolutely no threat to us whatsoever." Woman films 'amazing' shark in river estuary Blue lobster is catch of a lifetime for fisherman Threatened shark served to UK diners
