Poundland to open at Yate Shopping Centre
Date Posted:03/04/2012
Discount chain store Poundland is to open a shop in Yate, the Gazette can reveal.
The budget retailer has taken over eight former Peacocks stores, including the empty premises in Yate Shopping Centre as well as in Brighton, Dartford, Falkirk and Hoxton, in an expansion of its business that will create 220 jobs with 36 new positions in Yate.
Chief executive Jim McCarthy said: "Poundland has grown significantly over the past 12 months and we will continue to open new stores, creating local employment opportunities.
"We are delighted to bring our unique and well-proven single price discount proposition and provide amazing value every day to thousands of new customers in these towns."
The Peacocks store in Yate closed suddenly in February after the firm went into administration. It was previously a Woolworths store but was closed when that company went bust in a high profile collapse in 2008. The shop was divided in two to make way for Peacocks and sister company, women’s clothing store Bonmarche in 2009.
Andy Lowrey, manager of Yate Shopping Centre, said shop fitting work for Poundland started on Monday.
He added: "We can confirm that Peacocks’ administrators KPMG have assigned the Peacocks lease to Poundland and as such shop fitting works have commenced.
Taking in to consideration the current retail market, this is great news for Yate as it demonstrates that retailers are very much interested in opening stores at Yate Shopping Centre.
"We believe that Poundland will be very popular with our customers and that the new store will increase footfall around the centre’s walkways thus benefiting our other retailers."
He added: "Poundland have also advised us that 36 jobs will be created and that Bon Marche will be staying in occupation."
