Latest news with #shopclosure
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘It's ridiculous – we've nothing here': Co Kildare village to lose its last shop
'Older people and people with disabilities are so shocked, there was no forewarning really,' Johnstown resident David Stynes said as news filtered through the village that the only shop in the locality, Jordan's Centra, is due to close this week. 'It's ridiculous, we've nothing in the town,' the 65-year-old said. Located just off the N7, between Naas and Kill in Co Kildare , Johnstown, like 11 other Johnstowns in the east of the country, owes its name to the order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, said local historian Brian McCabe. 'The original church is up the way. Since the 1300s, there has been a village here,' he said. From Naas originally, Mr Stynes has lived in Johnstown for the last three years and is a wheelchair user. He was candid about how the shop closure will affect him. READ MORE 'As you can see I'm not very mobile. I'm lucky I have an electric wheelchair, but if you're sitting at home and you realise eight, nine, 10 o'clock you have run out of bread, where are you supposed to go now?' He has already experienced some of the hardship that the shop closure will bring. 'I have to rely on the buses to get to Kill or Naas. But last week I was going up the ramp and the wheelchair toppled over and I ended up in hospital, so I can't really trust getting on the buses now,' he said. Mr Stynes, like many others, is critical of the lack of communal infrastructure in the village. 'What's the town going to be left with, a Chinese restaurant?' he said. 'For older and disabled people, it's going to be a nightmare.' Amenities in the area have not kept pace with significant population growth of recent times, say villagers. Photograph: Stephen Farrell The owner of the shop, Alan Jordan, who lives locally and whose children have worked in the store, said closing had been a difficult decision that was not taken lightly. 'The business has been growing and expanding, but unfortunately the premises is no longer fit for purpose,' he said. 'It has been outgrown by the size of the community, it can't provide the range of products that the community deserves. On three occasions over the last 12 years we have tried unsuccessfully to secure alternative sites in the village.' [ Irish post office network requires annual funding of €15m to avoid 'rapid closures' Opens in new window ] One of these sites, located across the road from the shop, remains vacant. 'We would have built a 4,000 sq ft store there with 44 car-parking spaces ... But that didn't come to pass; a group of local people weren't in favour.' The Jordan Centra group is the largest Centra chain in Ireland, with stores in eight other locations in Kildare and Dublin. The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation , whose administrative offices are located above the Centra store in Johnstown, has agreed to purchase the shop, pending the owner getting planning approval for its change of use, said Deirdre Walsh, chief executive of the charity. However, some locally have queried the need for increased storage space at the shop. Katelyn Dunne (19), who lives in Johnstown and works in the local Chinese restaurant, said: 'They were saying that you can't store everything in the shop, but you don't need everything in it, just the essentials: food and bread.' For many, the impending closure of the shop is further evidence of the hollowing out of a village and its environs, which has more than 1,300 inhabitants who already have no school or post office of their own. The local community centre has been closed since 2000 as the local council did not take it over, said Johnstown resident and Fine Gael councillor, Fintan Brett. There are hopes for the reopening of the Johnstown Inn pub this year. Photograph: Stephen Farrell However, one bright spot on the horizon is that the Johnstown Inn at the top of the village, which closed four or five years ago, has new owners and may open again at the end of the year, say locals. Another possible positive development for the village may involve the vacant site across from the Centra store, Mr McCabe said. 'We have plans for the site of the old Johnstown Garden Centre, we're in consultation with the council about developing that as a community area,' he said. In response to queries, Kildare County Council said it was 'actively pursuing' the provision of a community development facility for Johnstown, but due to commercial sensitivities was unable to disclose further details. While Johnstown may be something of a quiet village, the lack of services is frustrating for its residents especially as the area has seen significant population growth in recent times. The 2022 Census said the Johnstown area had a population of 1,320, with the largest age cohort being in the 15 to 19-years-old category. Ms Dunne is fully aware of the effect the shop closure will have on her peers. 'So many people around here have jobs there and lots of lads around here do work experience there and they won't be able to do that either,' she said. Johnstown has been bypassed several times – by the Naas dual carriageway in the 1960s and more recently by the N7. Locals are now wondering whether the village will remain permanently bypassed in terms of amenities. 'For the population, it's kind of ridiculous,' resident Alan Browne (43) said.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘It's ridiculous – we've nothing here': Co Kildare village to lose its last store
'Older people and people with disabilities are so shocked, there was no forewarning really,' Johnstown resident David Stynes said as news filtered through the village that the only shop in the locality, Jordan's Centra, is due to close this week. 'It's ridiculous, we've nothing in the town,' the 65-year-old said. Located just off the N7, between Naas and Kill in Co Kildare , Johnstown, like 11 other Johnstowns in the east of the country, owes its name to the order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, said local historian Brian McCabe. 'The original church is up the way. Since the 1300s, there has been a village here,' he said. From Naas originally, Mr Stynes has lived in Johnstown for the last three years and is a wheelchair user. He was candid about how the shop closure will affect him. READ MORE 'As you can see I'm not very mobile. I'm lucky I have an electric wheelchair, but if you're sitting at home and you realise eight, nine, 10 o'clock you have run out of bread, where are you supposed to go now?' He has already experienced some of the hardship that the shop closure will bring. 'I have to rely on the buses to get to Kill or Naas. But last week I was going up the ramp and the wheelchair toppled over and I ended up in hospital, so I can't really trust getting on the buses now,' he said. Mr Stynes, like many others, is critical of the lack of communal infrastructure in the village. 'What's the town going to be left with, a Chinese restaurant?' he said. 'For older and disabled people, it's going to be a nightmare.' Amenities in the area have not kept pace with significant population growth of recent times, say villagers. Photograph: Stephen Farrell The owner of the shop, Alan Jordan, who lives locally and whose children have worked in the store, said closing had been a difficult decision that was not taken lightly. 'The business has been growing and expanding, but unfortunately the premises is no longer fit for purpose,' he said. 'It has been outgrown by the size of the community, it can't provide the range of products that the community deserves. On three occasions over the last 12 years we have tried unsuccessfully to secure alternative sites in the village.' [ Irish post office network requires annual funding of €15m to avoid 'rapid closures' Opens in new window ] One of these sites, located across the road from the shop, remains vacant. 'We would have built a 4,000 sq ft store there with 44 car-parking spaces ... But that didn't come to pass; a group of local people weren't in favour.' The Jordan Centra group is the largest Centra chain in Ireland, with stores in eight other locations in Kildare and Dublin. The Jack and Jill Children's Foundation , whose administrative offices are located above the Centra store in Johnstown, has agreed to purchase the shop, pending the owner getting planning approval for its change of use, said Deirdre Walsh, chief executive of the charity. However, some locally have queried the need for increased storage space at the shop. Katelyn Dunne (19), who lives in Johnstown and works in the local Chinese restaurant, said: 'They were saying that you can't store everything in the shop, but you don't need everything in it, just the essentials: food and bread.' For many, the impending closure of the shop is further evidence of the hollowing out of a village and its environs, which has more than 1,300 inhabitants who already have no school or post office of their own. The local community centre has been closed since 2000 as the local council did not take it over, said Johnstown resident and Fine Gael councillor, Fintan Brett. There are hopes for the reopening of the Johnstown Inn pub this year. Photograph: Stephen Farrell However, one bright spot on the horizon is that the Johnstown Inn at the top of the village, which closed four or five years ago, has new owners and may open again at the end of the year, say locals. Another possible positive development for the village may involve the vacant site across from the Centra store, Mr McCabe said. 'We have plans for the site of the old Johnstown Garden Centre, we're in consultation with the council about developing that as a community area,' he said. In response to queries, Kildare County Council said it was 'actively pursuing' the provision of a community development facility for Johnstown, but due to commercial sensitivities was unable to disclose further details. While Johnstown may be something of a quiet village, the lack of services is frustrating for its residents especially as the area has seen significant population growth in recent times. The 2022 Census said the Johnstown area had a population of 1,320, with the largest age cohort being in the 15 to 19-years-old category. Ms Dunne is fully aware of the effect the shop closure will have on her peers. 'So many people around here have jobs there and lots of lads around here do work experience there and they won't be able to do that either,' she said. Johnstown has been bypassed several times – by the Naas dual carriageway in the 1960s and more recently by the N7. Locals are now wondering whether the village will remain permanently bypassed in terms of amenities. 'For the population, it's kind of ridiculous,' resident Alan Browne (43) said.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Major charity shop with over 600 stores across the UK to close city site after 35 years
A MAJOR charity chain with over 600 stores has confirmed it will shut one of its beloved high street branches in weeks. Cancer Research UK has announced it would be closing its Plymoth location this month after 35 years of serving the local community. 2 2 Cancer Research in Stoke, Plymoth is shutting up shop for the last time on June 21. The decision was made in March with bosses saying the store was "no longer a financially viable option". A charity spokesperson said: "This decision was not taken lightly, as we understand the significant impact a shop closure can have on the community. "We have a responsibility to ensure that we are using charity funds effectively and efficiently to maximise our contribution to life-saving research. "Whilst we explore all avenues before making the decision to close a shop, unfortunately, the Stoke (Plymouth) shop was no longer a financially viable option." They thanked the staff and volunteers for having been "powerful ambassadors" for the charity. Locals have been left heartbroken at the news with Councillor Jemima Laing calling the shop "part of the fabric of life" in the community. She told BBC: "People have described it [the shop] to me as a 'hub' which is so much more than a shop and offers a listening ear to people, often grieving, as they drop off their donations." The shop has put out a notice board with the bittersweet message from the staff. The sign read: "Our last day of trading will be Saturday, 21st June, which is a very sad for myself, my wonderful volunteers and of course you, our customers. "In the meantime please continue to support the shop, the only charity shop in the village!" Beloved department store chain shutting more locations with clearance sales on now until final May 25 deadline Customers can also leave goodbye messages in the book at the store before it closes for good. It comes as another charity is set to close 77 branches this year with the majority already shut. Disability charity Scope, which has locations in England and Wales, revealed they have been struggling financially. The closures were first announced in January as part of a move that could see 1 38 of the brand's stores ceasing operation. Bosses explained the chain has experienced declining footfall and increasing costs, including higher rents as well as staff costs and energy bills. 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."
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Cancer Research UK in Plymouth to close after 35 years
A charity shop in Plymouth described by residents as a community hub is to close in Cancer Research UK shop in Stoke has been trading for more than 35 years but the charity decided in March to close it because it was "no longer a financially viable option".Councillors in Stoke said they had been contacted by local people who were "really upset" about the closure. A spokesperson for the charity gave their "heartfelt thanks" to the shop's staff and volunteers for having been "powerful ambassadors" for the charity. Councillor Jemima Laing said the shop had been "part of the fabric of life" in the said: "People have described it [the shop] to me as a 'hub' which is so much more than a shop and offers a listening ear to people, often grieving, as they drop off their donations." 'Not taken lightly' The shop's Facebook page had a notice from the manager which said the shop would close on 21 charity spokesperson said: "This decision was not taken lightly, as we understand the significant impact a shop closure can have on the community."We have a responsibility to ensure that we are using charity funds effectively and efficiently to maximise our contribution to life-saving research."Whilst we explore all avenues before making the decision to close a shop, unfortunately, the Stoke (Plymouth) shop was no longer a financially viable option."
