Clarks is preparing plans to permanently shut a number of its stores once the mandatory lockdown ends, raising questions over the uncertain future of Medway's branches.
The British footwear retailer is said to have failed to deliver a turnaround plan and has consequently drafted in bankers to review its finances as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on the business, Sky News reported. A "small number" of its 347 UK stores will also not reopen its doors once the government-enforced closure of non-essential stores is lifted, although it is not yet clear whether the Clarks stores at Chatham Dockside Outlet Centre and Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre will be affected by the decision. Clarks has already furloughed thousands of its staff across the country under the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and is currently assessing options for the remainder of its workforce. However, the retailer is now prioritising the sustainable survival of its business through the coronavirus crisis. Speaking to Sky News, a spokesperson for Clarks said: "Clarks continually reviews all its stores to ensure that they are the right size and located in the right areas in order to provide the best possible service and offering to its customers. "As part of this normal review, we have decided not to renew the leases on a small number of stores and as such, these will cease to trade and will not reopen following the coronavirus closures." The news of Clarks' decision comes just weeks after think tank Centre for Retail Research estimated that over 20,600 stores in the UK are expected to pull their shutters for the final time by the end of the year - a huge leap on the 4547 that closed in 2019. |
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