Marks and Spencer have announced this morning that they plan to close their 'Simply Food' store in the Grafton Centre. This is a real blow for the Grafton Centre and the Kite area generally, where the store's relatively recent opening provided a much needed local foodstore.
Shops in the area benefitted from the temporary relocation of Robert Sayle to Burleigh Street, and have suffered since the new John Lewis and Grand Arcade opened - the suggested new Primark clearly couldn't arrive soon enough. At the point where a large community is left with a serious lack of local food shops, Council policy and action (or inaction) needs to be called in to question in terms of the way planning policies and other powers to help ensure sustainable communities have worked here.
Marks and Spencer clearly are aware of the community interest in these decisions - their public affairs department has written to the Chief Executive of the City Council:
"I am writing to inform you that we have announced today a proposal to close the M&S Simply Food store at Grafton Centre, Cambridge, subject to consultation with employees.
We have looked at every available option to keep the store open, but in this very tough trading environment we have come to the conclusion that it is no longer commercially viable to continue trading.
We have very much valued the commitment and contribution of the store team and it is therefore with sadness that we are proposing this closure. We will be doing everything we can to support them through the consultation period and in the event of closure, employees will be offered appropriate help to find alternative employment in the local area.
The proposal to close this store is part of a wider proposal by M&S to close up to 27 stores across the UK."
Any bets on how long it will be before a Tesco Metro planning application turns up for one of the vacant stores in the area...
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4 comments:
It is a shame that this store is going - I found it useful myself.
When this store opened, I remember thinking "Thank God!" I can't believe it will be closing! There will be no reason for me to come to the Grafton Centre at all now. I would pop into Debenham's occasionally but if it means I have to trail back into town to get my shopping then I won't be bothering. And I doubt I'll be the only one. Can't they reconsider? Or how about John Lewis opening a Wairose there?
I agree this is a real blow to the Grafton Centre and the Kite area. Maybe someone should be writing to the likes of Waitrose and Sainsbury to see if they could fill the gap - I'm guessing Tesco's wouldn't need any encouragement...
The earlier loss of Heffers doesn't help either.
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