Department store closure leaves 100 staff jobless

WOLVERHAMPTON’S BHS department store closes for the last time today with the loss of 100 jobs.

The store is just one of the 114 casualties of the retail giant’s collapse, which in total has cost the jobs of 11,000 people around the country.

The BHS store in Park Street, Walsall closes on Saturday – there are 36 people set to lose their jobs there.

Stores in Birmingham and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre are set to close by August 20, leaving large units in prime retail locations vacant.

City of Wolverhampton Council in collaborating with other retailers in the city to try and secure alternative employment for the staff left jobless by the Dudley Street store’s closure.

The local authority has been joined by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Job Centre Plus, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership in putting in place practical measures to help the workers.

The picture is slightly more positive one in Wolverhampton due to new retailers moving into the city.

Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Boots have already said new job opportunities may arise shortly, while a small number of BHS staff have already secured employment at House of Fraser (formerly Beatties), New Look, and Debenhams (Birmingham).
 
Cllr John Reynolds, Wolverhampton’s cabinet member for City Economy said the city was better placed than most to offer new employment to the BHS workers.

“A number of companies in the area are growing and we will do as much as possible to ensure those people affected are able to compete for the new jobs being created by these businesses,” he said.

He said new developments such as the city’s mixed-use i10 building – which is already fully let – were an indication of the strength of the city’s economy.
 
Cath Cottis, manager of the BHS Wolverhampton store, said: “It is a very emotional time for my team. With concessions, there is over 100 of us that are looking to be redeployed.
 
“We have over 524-years’ service amongst us with a huge amount of enthusiasm, loyalty and experience.
 
“I would recommend any organisation within the city that has vacancies, to consider the wide range of skills and personalities that are available.”