TK Maxx and Homesense are closing stores in another blow to the High Street – is your local branch affected?
- Stores in Edinburgh and Manchester are due to close in the next few weeks
- Read more: The changing face of the High Street – as fake shop fronts used
TK Maxx and Homesense will be closing stores across the country in yet another blow for the struggling UK high street.
Edinburgh’s TK Maxx will open its doors to customers for the final time on February 15 as the landlord pulls the lease.
Homesense – a subsidiary of TK Maxx which sells homeware – will see shops in Manchester and Swansea close.
The closures come amid more trouble for the UK high street as the economy narrowly avoids recession.
TK Maxx has 352 stores in the UK and hundreds more operating throughout Europe and owns 77 Homesense stores across the country.
The Ediburgh TK Maxx will see its doors close to customers on February 15 as the landlord has not renewed the lease
Shoppers in Swansea will have to travel to a new Llanelli store for their homeware after the Parc Fforestfach shop closes at the end of March
The Manchester Arndale branch will close on March 1. Workers have been offered new positions at nearby stores
Scottish shoppers will have until Wednesday to search the shelves in the Edinburgh TK Maxx before it closes its doors for good.
A spokesperson told Edinburgh Live that the staff at the shop were hoping to get jobs at other nearby stores.
The spokesperson for TK Maxx said: ‘Our senior managers have been in store supporting the team. We’re currently in consultation with all affected associates and our intention is that all associates will be offered roles in other local TK Maxx or Homesense stores.’
The Homesense Manchester Arndale shop will remain open until March 1, when its lease is also due to end.
The Swansea site, located at Parc FForestfach, will close by the end of March.
A spokesperson for Homesense told the Manchester Evening News that all Manchester-based staff will be offered roles in nearby TK Maxx and Homesense stores.
Which TK Maxx and Homesense shops are closing?
Edinburgh TK Maxx – February 15
Manchester Arndale Homesense – March 1
Swansea Homesense – end of March
New stores will be opened in Llanelli and a new logistics centre is planned for Crewe to keep up with online demand.
But Manchester shoppers can breathe a sigh of relief as there are Homesense stores in Altrincham and Trafford, which will remain open.
The Welsh branch of the homeware shop will be relocated to the Trostre Retail Park.
The company confirmed that everyone currently working there will be offered positions at the new Llanelli shop.
A new TK Maxx will also be opening in Llanelli.
Deborah Dolce, group director, TJX Europe told the Mirror: ‘We are proud of our continued investment in communities across the country through new store openings, store modernisations and relocations.
‘Last year we opened two new stores – a TK Maxx in Bromborough and a Homesense in Altrincham.
‘This year, we’re opening another three new TK Maxx stores and a new Homesense store in Stevenage.
The clothing company is also opening a new logistics centre in Crewe to keep up with online demand.
Ms Dolce added that the company was looking forward to opening the new stores and offering more retail careers to the communities.
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