Latest news with #shoppingcentre
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Poundland is shutting ANOTHER branch for good after announcing 25 closures in major shake-up – see the full list
POUNDLAND has shut down yet another location in a string of recent closures. It comes after the budget retailer launched a restructuring plan last month. 2 Poundland closed the doors of its Whiteley location for the final time on Monday, July 21. The closure was confirmed in a post on social media from the Whiteley Shopping Centre. A representative expressed sadness in seeing Poundland leave the premises. Local reaction "We're sad to see you go, Poundland. We're truly saddened to share that our local Poundland has now closed its doors," a representative said. "It's been a part of our community for years, offering great value and friendly service, and it will certainly be missed. 'We want to wish the whole team at Poundland all the very best for the future — thank you for everything." They added that shoppers could still find another Poundland location nearby. "For anyone still looking to shop at Poundland, the nearest store is now in Fareham on West Street," the post read. String of closures Poundland stores across the country are facing uncertainty, as the brand announced 25 locations will close in the coming weeks. Plans were submitted to the courts to close 68 shops as part of the new owners restructuring. Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures The locations that will permanently pull the shutters throughout August are: Ammanford (August 10) Birmingham Fort (August 10) Cardiff Valegate (August 10) Cramlington (August 10) Leicester (August 10) Long Eaton (August 10) Port Glasgow (August 10) Seaham (August 10) Shrewsbury (August 10) Tunbridge Wells (August 10) Bedford (August 17) Bidston Moss (August 17) Broxburn (August 17) Craigavon (August 17) Dartmouth (August 17) East Dulwich (August 17) Falmouth (August 17) Hull St Andrews (August 17) Newtonabbey (August 17) Perth (August 17) Poole (August 17) Sunderland (August 17) Stafford (August 17) Thornaby (August 17) Worcester (August 17) Poundland was taken over by investment firm Gordon Brothers last month. The firm said it is looking to make the brand profitable again after an 'an extended period of under-performance'. While Whiteley was not featured on the list of upcoming closures, staff and shoppers have been left disappointed at the sudden closure. Which Poundland shops will close from this Sunday? THE following Poundland stores will temporarily close from this Sunday, January 10. Newark, St Marks Place Londonderry Ferryquay Street NI Grantham, Isaac Newton Centre, Kingston upon Thames Eden Walk Mansfield Four Seasons Shopping Centre Harlow Harvey Shopping Centre Lowestoft Britten Shopping Centre Colchester Culver Street Ipswich Sailmakers Shopping Centre Ayr High Street Norwich Castle Mall Workington Campbell-Savours Way Newmarket, The Guineas Shopping Centre Carlisle Scotch Street Luton 31 The Mall Shopping Centre Dumfries, Loreburne Shopping Centre Belfast Castlecourt Shopping Centre NI Glasgow Union Street Newry Buttercrane Shopping Centre NI Falkirk Howgate Shopping Centre Enniskillen Erneside Shopping Centre NI Edinburgh Princes Street Newry Quays Shopping Centre NI Perth St Johns Shopping Centre Inverness High Street Cardiff 121 Queens Street Kirkcaldy Mercat Shopping Centre Bridgwater Angel Place Shopping Centre Cramlington Manor Walks Shopping Centre Burnley 82 Charter Walk Shopping Centre Middlesbrough Captain Cook Square Shopping Centre Preston Fishergate Centre Durham Riverwalk Shopping Centre Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre Beverley Flemingate Shopping Centre Chester Frodsham Street Farnham The Borough Bootle Strand Shopping Centre Fareham Market Quay Solihull High Street Fareham Whiteley Shopping Centre Newcastle under Lyme Castle Walk Crewe Market St Merry Hill Shopping Centre The Sun has reached out to Poundland for comment. More closures A popular fashion outlet has launched a shutting down sale amid a string of closures. Plus, the Original Factory Shop is also offering discounts to customers as it prepares to close another location. And a high street giant has announced a closing down sale after pulling the shutters on a seaside shop. 2
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Hand amputated after second shopping centre knife attack in Melbourne
A man has lost his hand in the first of two serious incidents involving knives at Melbourne shopping centres over the weekend. In the second incident, a 17-year-old boy was stabbed and taken to hospital in a critical condition. As of Monday morning, police are yet to announce arrests related to either incident. These latest attacks come amid a spate of knife crimes at Melbourne shopping centres. This weekend's first incident happened on Saturday at the Central Square Shopping Centre in Altona Meadows, in the city's southwest. The Herald Sun reports the 33-year-old male victim had the lower part of an arm amputated at the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Sunday. Police were called to the shopping centre about 8pm. '(The victim) was approached by a group of males and pushed to the ground,' a police spokesperson said. 'It is alleged one of the offenders produced an edged weapon and struck the victim's forearm, initially causing serious injuries. The offenders then fled the area with the victim's phone.' The weapon used is suspected to be a machete. The second incident occurred in the northern suburb of Broadmeadows on Sunday about 6.30pm. Police were called to Broadmeadows Central after a 17-year-old male was stabbed. The teenager was taken to hospital with critical injuries, the police spokesperson said. 'A crime scene has been established and the circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined,' they said. Police were at the shopping centre on Monday morning. 'The investigation remains ongoing,' the spokesperson said. A major brawl between rival gangs at a northern suburbs shopping centre in May sparked a statewide machete ban, which has already stopped stores selling them but criminalises possessing one as of September 1. Just last Monday, a 44-year-old man was stabbed in the chest and neck outside the Moonee Ponds Central shopping centre. Police said the alleged offender had a history of mental health issues. Barely an hour earlier, a 37-year-old man allegedly pulled a knife at a nearby cafe. After these two Moonee Ponds incidents, Police Minister Anthony Carbines stressed that officers were recently given more power to stop and search people for weapons without a warrant. 'We've seen a record number of edged weapons seized in the past year and that's a demonstration of the work police are doing to disrupt and dismantle crime in the community,' Mr Carbines told media last week. In February, two men were stabbed outside a Bunnings in Broadmeadows, allegedly over a pair of stolen headphones.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Over FORTY empty shops lie deserted in our ‘dying' ghost town – tourists used to flock here but now it's unrecognisable
A POPULAR shopping centre is now a shadow of its former self – with more than 40 empty units sparking fears it has become a 'dying ghost town'. Walsall, in the West Midlands, known historically for its leather and saddle trade, was once a thriving retail destination. 8 8 8 8 But now, boarded-up shops, graffiti-covered storefronts, and shattered windows tell a different story. Walsall, recently rated the second-worst place in England to start a business, has been left reeling by years of decline. Around one in four residents are now economically inactive, and nearly a quarter of the town's 150 central retail units sit empty. Local businessman Harcharan Pala, who runs Revolution Records, said: 'I've been here eight or nine years and we've seen the big shops like Debenhams and M&S disappear. "The town is just desolate now, hardly anyone comes here.' Walsall's fall from grace has been long and painful. As big brands moved out, so did shoppers – many now heading to larger cities like Birmingham or retail parks in Cannock and Dudley instead. 'Without those big anchor shops drawing people in, there's no reason for people to come shopping here anymore,' Mr Pala added. "The amount of empty shops is sad to see.' Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down Despite the bleak picture, some still see potential. Damian Chapman, 30, is opening a trading card game store – The Card Loft – on July 26. 'I'd seen all the negativity around the town centre but it didn't put me off because this is where I grew up,' he said. 'I think when you have something niche and unique too, people will travel to seek it out.' Others are less hopeful. Window cleaner Paul Booth, 64, who's worked in Walsall for over four decades, said: 'There used to be a team of five of us. "Now I can do it all on a Tuesday. It's just empty and dying a death.' The decline, which many trace back to the 2008 recession, has eroded not just business, but community spirit. 'I used to know all the street cleaners, bin men, bus drivers,' Paul added. 'Now there's no sense of community at all.' Resident Jonathan Lovell, 42, said: 'Walsall had one of the best night life scenes going in the Midlands... now it's just depressingly dead. I don't feel safe to go out.' Others, like arcade boss Craig Marlow, blame the collapse of the market as the start of the downturn: 'Walsall is a really good community, but it's slowly dying because the destination is gone.' Industry leaders say the problems in Walsall mirror those seen across the country. 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." Tom Ironside, of the British Retail Consortium, said: 'Vacant properties have become an all too familiar sight… It is essential that Government reforms help make investment more viable.' Walsall Council insists change is coming. A £1.5 billion regeneration programme is underway, aimed at reviving the local economy and attracting more visitors and businesses. Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader of Walsall Council, said: 'People's shopping habits have changed, and our town centres need to diversify. "The council is working to create an environment that attracts people into the town centre.' But for many residents, time is running out. Without urgent action, they fear the heart of Walsall could disappear for good. Walsall's decline is part of a wider crisis hitting high streets across the UK. Rising costs, changing shopping habits, and the shift to online retail have forced both big-name chains and independents to shut their doors in growing numbers. The Original Factory Shop is closing several branches, while Poundland, New Look and River Island are all scaling back. Even essential retailers like Asda and Morrisons have begun shutting stores, blaming high rents and falling demand. Claire's is also facing major financial trouble, with dozens of closures possible. The Centre for Retail Research predicts over 17,000 shop closures and more than 200,000 job losses this year alone. Experts say the outdated business rates system is making it harder for retailers to survive, especially in already struggling towns. The Sun has approached Walsall Council for comment. 8 8 8 8
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Council votes to Ashford Park Mall amid 'heated' debate
A controversial plan to demolish an Ashford shopping centre has been passed. Ashford Borough Council (ABC) voted in favour of a motion to bulldoze Park Mall to, what the council called, a "heated" response from people who had attended the meeting on Thursday. A petition with 3,500 signatures opposed removing the existing site, which the council said was losing £700k a year, to create an interim car park while redevelopment plans are considered. An ABC spokesperson described the debate as "long, and at times heated" but said while considering public feeling, they had voted to pass the motion. Ahead of the vote, which passed with a majority of 30, traders at Park Mall accused the council of making their minds up and not consulting the public over the decision. Save Park Mall campaigner and trader David Hebditch said: "If you'd done even the briefest of public engagements on this subject you would have discovered this overwhelming viewpoint but sadly you didn't."Audible discontent later came from attendees after Reform councillor Bill Barrett was told he could not raise a motion to reverse the decision in part. A member of the public shouted: "This is why this country's in decline. You disgust us." Following an adjournment, Ashford mayor Lyn Suddards told attendees: "I just want to apologise to people who were troubled by the clapping, by the noise, by the upset."I'm afraid I did let the jovial clapping at the start go by but it did become aggressive and some people felt intimidated by the end of that, by the end of the debate and I am sorry about that."Green Party councillor Steve Campkin described how he was "still shaking" after the disturbance. On Friday, an ABC spokesman said that social media speculation police were called "doesn't appear to be true".Kent Police confirmed they did not attend. An ABC spokesperson added: "The Park Mall site is not financially sustainable, with annual losses of £700,000 and significant maintenance costs projected of £980,000 by 2026/27 and £9.3 million from 2028 onwards."
News.com.au
4 days ago
- News.com.au
Knives seized, men arrested after armed brawl at Sydney shopping centre
A brawl involving people armed with knives broke out in the food court of a busy shopping centre in Sydney's southwest on Friday afternoon. Shortly after 2pm, police were called to Stockland at Wetherill Park following reports of the incident. Two men were arrested inside the shopping centre's food court, where police also seized two knives. Police said no injuries had been reported. A crime scene has been established, and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances leading to the incident.
