Three more Weymouth shops set to close (From Thisisdorset)

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Three more Weymouth shops set to close

11:30am Friday 3rd February 2012 in Latest By Rachel Stretton

Comet, Millets and Weymouth Hi-Fi are all due to shut

WEYMOUTH’S economy has been dealt another blow with the news that three more shops are to close.

Staff at the three stores are anxiously waiting to find out if they will be deployed elsewhere when the doors close.

Comet on the Jubilee Retail Park will close on February 17, it was confirmed yesterday.

Weymouth Hi-Fi in Maiden Street and Millets in St Mary St are also poised to shut their doors to the public.

Comet, a presence in Weymouth for 25 years, is to close because its lease on the Jubilee Retail Park will not be renewed.

A member of staff, who did not wish to be named, said: “We heard about it on Sunday, and we will close on February 17. It’s a sad state of affairs.”

He added that the store employed ten people, but it is hoped some may be relocated to other stores.

A spokesperson for Comet said: “We can confirm this store will be closing.

“We announced last year that a small number of stores would be closing because their leases expired.”

Weymouth Hi-Fi is also set to close, with their parent company pulling out of the town centre store according to an assistant manager. It is understood the electrical supplies store, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in Weymouth in November, is to close in order to focus on online sales.

But owner David Worthington, of Weymouth Hi-Fi’s parent company DVID Ltd, denied the store would definitely close. He said: “The Weymouth store is under review, but we are not planning to close it yet.

“We are looking at the profitability of all our stores, especially if the economy doesn’t pick up in the next few months.”

Assistant manager Richard Swannie said DVID Ltd owned several other stores in the region, but Weymouth was the only one that would be affected. Three people are employed full-time in the shop.

Mr Swannie said: “I know not everyone likes buying things online, but we have been forced into that position.”

Further stores include Millets, which staff said will close down, although they could not confirm when.

It was hoped the St Mary’s Street store might be saved after parent company Blacks Leisure sold the business to JD Sports in January. No one was available for comment.

The closures come at a time when 11 business premises on St Mary Street and St Thomas Street, the town’s main shopping streets, already stand empty. Two stores on the two main shopping streets are also expected to close in the near future, including Millets.

Volcanic owner Kevin Knight confirmed the independent clothes store would also close.

He said: “This is just a temporary measure, as we only had a short-term lease. I am hoping to find another unit and reopen somewhere else in Weymouth town centre.”

Shoppers have their say

Kara Bennington, 21, from Weymouth, said: “There is nothing to do in Weymouth any more. The shops are really small, even those with big names like Next.

“New Look is good but that’s about the only place. I’d rather travel to go shopping now, to Poole or Bournemouth.”

• Saffron Costello, 45, from Oxford, said: “I’m actually here on holiday. It’s been quite a few years since I visited last, and I was surprised how many places have shut down.

“But Weymouth isn’t just about shopping. The beaches are fabulous, so it wouldn’t put me off coming here.”

• Jackie Staddon, 54, from Portland, said: “There are hardly any clothes shops now, especially clothes shops for children.

“The town centre’s full of second-hand shops and cafes. It’s not good for the people who live here, but the people who visit come for the beach, not the shops.”

Comments(30)

Crimbo says...
11:56am Fri 3 Feb 12

Not to worry, just fill all the empty shops with dodgy Olympics 2012 memorabilia sellers and fake designer sailing gear.
At least Trading Standards and the Police will then know where the 'naughty' traders are instead of having to hunt the streets for them.
Another solution is fill the empty shops with the now banned pavement eating and drinking areas.
You see, all it takes is a bit of lateral thinking :-)