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Original poster

Shops are starting to shut

173 replies

Twospaniels · 19/03/2020 17:35

My daughter works in TKMaxx and they are closing UK wide after today for “the foreseeable future”

Also heard that Clarke’s are closing.

Daughter is salaried luckily and will get paid as normal for now, but who knows what the future holds?

OP posts:
QuimJongUn · 19/03/2020 20:30

@Biancadelrioisback DD worked in a cafe in The Stack until Tuesday, when her boss told her she could no longer afford to pay her because of the sudden downturn in business. She was working for a year to save for her masters so she's beside herself. I really feel for your friends. Newcastle is such a 'social' city, there'll be so many who will suffer Sad

MissFlite · 19/03/2020 20:31

Clarkes? Clarks. Whichever 😀

covetingthepreciousthings · 19/03/2020 20:32

Where are you getting all of this information from?

A lot of the shops have posted on their Instagrams, Liberty, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Oxfam, Cancer Research.

funkylittleboatrace · 19/03/2020 20:32

I work in a clothes shop and was made redundant this week, I'm meant to be working for another two weeks though I heard today the store will be shut by Saturday.

Alsohuman · 19/03/2020 20:33

Selfridges was on the BBC website.

Dibdabdobdop · 19/03/2020 20:35

I work in a shop (non essential) we aren't closed and it's very much business as usual. I have asthma and my anxiety is through the roof about going into work

@covetingthepreciousthings same for me. I was so scared at work today, my heart was pounding all day

Dibdabdobdop · 19/03/2020 20:37

Easy to say self isolate not so easy to do when your employer's don't care and you need money and a job to pay for things.

funkylittleboatrace · 19/03/2020 20:38

It's horrid isn't it I also work for a small beauty concession spent a few hours today transferring stock back to the warehouse, I guess for internet sales.

Dibdabdobdop · 19/03/2020 20:38

I keep wondering when this all settles down, what will we be left with? Can they freeze rent for shops so they can all afford to reopen once this is over?

daphknee · 19/03/2020 20:41

@QuimJongUn I feel the same way about Fenwick closing. It's just all so unprecedented and strange.

covetingthepreciousthings · 19/03/2020 20:42

I keep wondering when this all settles down, what will we be left with? Can they freeze rent for shops so they can all afford to reopen once this is over?

This is my worry, in the town where I am there are some amazing independents that are still in their first few years of being open, and I'm so worried they won't survive this.

Alsohuman · 19/03/2020 20:44

While I really sympathise with anyone losing their job, we could do with being a lot less consumerist and fewer shops would certainly help that.

Dibdabdobdop · 19/03/2020 20:48

I agree we could do with being less consumerist but I think Amazon and the online giants are a much larger part of the problem. The high street and town centres aren't just for shopping, they are great for anyone who could be isolated otherwise - I mean in normal circumstances not covid - mum's on maternity leave, the elderly etc. So I don't want shops to get shut down. Plus the jobs of course.

Although at the present moment I feel so angry at the people going shopping to buy things that they really don't need and risking spreading the infection to me and to others.

LittleLittleLittle · 19/03/2020 20:48

@Crunchymum luckily Argos is in Sainsburys stores, so they can close the stand-alone shops.

Bluetrews25 · 19/03/2020 20:50

What about banks and post offices?

alltoomuchrightnow · 19/03/2020 20:50

Ikea tomorrow night, but not for staff who will continue working daily behind closed doors

MarshaBradyo · 19/03/2020 20:50

Liberty! My fave

I had no idea this was happening I suppose it’s a good after all the gym / cafe etc stories but bad too for staff

Dibdabdobdop · 19/03/2020 20:52

I've heard that banks are considered essential services and are open along with chemists and supermarkets in countries with a lockdown imposed. I have been wondering about royal mail and the post office. Deliveries and staying in touch by mail will be important to a lot of people.

Inkpaperstars · 19/03/2020 20:53

Anthropologie closed all their stores some days ago, they said staff will still be paid.

rwalker · 19/03/2020 20:54

Wickes has shut was going to get paint so if we were stuck in could paint everywhere.

Inkpaperstars · 19/03/2020 20:54

Does anyone know whether small food stores like corner shops and farm shops will be likely to stay open?

Sobeyondthehills · 19/03/2020 20:55

one of the last companies to close, if it closes at all will be WHsmith. They dont give a shit about their staff

MarshaBradyo · 19/03/2020 20:55

Ink no one has to close so if they have customers they’ll stay open, I imagine they would have them.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 19/03/2020 20:58

I had an email to say that Cineworld were closing there cinemas.

LittleYorkshireLass · 19/03/2020 21:05

My post office (small market town of 13000 people,) said they are DEFINITELY not closing. Also my bank (Nat West) said they will not be closing.

They also both said it's unlikely that any of them will close (in any of the towns...)

Don't know if that helps anyone (or comforts them.)

All the main (chainstore) type shops in my little town are still open - about 18-20 of them. But out of all the independent shops (around 35-40 of them,) the majority are only opening Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the moment (and this is the 3rd week they have done it.)

And they are also only open from 10am til 3pm. Some of them 10am til 2pm. (They normally open Monday and Tuesday as well, and from 9am til 5pm.)