Up to 25 jobs in Bracknell are under threat as Marks & Spencer announced earlier this month that it will close its Simply Food store in Princess Square.
A total of 27 stored were shortlisted for possible closure; but it has already been confirmed that the Bracknell store will close its doors for the final time on 5th March 2009.
A petition organised by both shoppers and local traders was in vain as the closure was confirmed before the organisers even had an opportunity to submit their displeasure to M&S bosses
Where possible M&S have said that they will try to explore redeployment opportunities into other stores
M&S said it will consult with the 25 staff at the store to discuss “implications of this decision for them personally and to.
Where redeployment is not available, employees will be made redundant and offered appropriate help from M&S to find alternative employment in the local area, the company said.
Steve Rowe, M&S director of Retail, said: “We have consulted fully with staff at the Bracknell Simply Food store, listening carefully to both their views and suggestions, as well as those of the local community.
All issues raised throughout the process were fully considered, but as no proposed alternatives to the store closure have been found to be commercially viable, it was necessary to make this difficult decision.
I would like to thank the team at Bracknell Simply Food for the professional way in which they have handled this process and for their patience as we enter into individual consultation.
We will explore all possible redeployment opportunities and remain committed to avoiding redundancies whereverpossible.
We hope that our valued customers will continue to shop with M&S at one of our alternative local stores such as Camberley and Wokingham, which offer a wide variety of quality M&S products.”
This is a shame, Marks & Spencer have been going for years, but at least its not as bad as the situation with Woolworths. Bracknell is having a new Tesco built though, which will help with the rejuvenation of the area.
Hopefully the number of jobs now coming up from the new Tesco’s in Bracknell will make up for these 25 job losses.
However its still a big shame.
That is a real blow isn’t it, I think that they are also closing their Woking Store, which is clothes as well as food and I am sure will impact Woking greatly, Towns like Bracknell are so limited in terms of lunchtime food choices and also Grocery stores in Town where you can pick up something for tonights dinner, quickly and easily.
I really think M&S should re-consider, with less people eating out in the Bracknell area, we need somewehere to get a good alternative to have at home.
It looks to me like we had better get used to hearing this sort of thing to be honest!
Its happening everywhere! The one in Woking is closing but they have the food shop at the back of the station and the really big one in Brooklands so they are still relatively close to the town centre!
It amazing how places are closing down - its weird walking around town and seeing all these units closed at the moment!
People are losing thier jobs no matter what industry they work in! Cuts are being made everywhere!
This is a real shame.
We are running a news story that Waitrose might be expanding their head office in Bracknell but we do not know if this will lead to an increase in the workforce.
Like many communities, we could do with some good news!
This is so bad. More negative news again. When will things improve? I know so many people in the Bracknell area who have been affected by this and it can be really hard to get a new job, especially now the number of jobs in Berkshire seems to be falling every day …
That would be great if Waitrose increased their workforce, what would really help is if they expanded their store network as this would create jobs in Bracknell but also, in other areas in the country.
i wil lbe moving to bracknell soon…. all this does not look too good.
As a local Bracknell resident I think this is a real shame. Sso many jobs are being lost in retail at the moment in the southeast of England. My wife’s part-time hours in a competitor retail store have just been cut back as well, forcing her to work from home to do some part-time tele-working. I really hope confidence comes back into consumers soon, as this recession is so demoralising. I hope that M&S also take into account the impact on local peoples lives when they plan out new stores close them with such speed. They have many loyal employees and let’s hope that the old-fashioned traditional M&S customer remains loyal as well.