Branch closures announced in 2019

The announcement below was published in the Gazette (in-house magazine) on 7th March 2019.

W&P have announced plans to sell five shops; Ashbourne in Derbyshire, Barry in Vale of Glamorgan, Blaby in Leicestershire and Torquay and Teignmouth in Devon. €The details of the arrangement have not yet been finalised, but it is expected that the shops will close in June this year. Partners at these shops were informed on Wednesday. W&P Retail Director Ben Stimson said: “When we sold five shops last year, we said that we expect that pattern to continue in the immediate years ahead as we look at a very small number of shops that – for a range of reasons – are not working as we would like despite the best efforts of everyone involved. We have spoken to the 440 Partners in these shops and will be supporting them in any way we can in the coming months.
Our aim is to avoid redundancies wherever possible and we will explore every opportunity for those wishing to remain within the Partnership. “We do whatever we can to avoid closing shops and the implications for Partners are always at the forefront of our minds. However, as we’ve said in the past, regularly reviewing our estate is a vital part of ensuring our business is strong and sustainable for the future. We have also emphasised to all Partners affected that our decision to sell is in no way a reflection on them –  I am extremely grateful for their professionalism, customer focus and hard work.”