Primark moves into Bournemouth

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So it’s out with the flowery prints and warm nighties and in with the £3 leggings and 10 bloomers for a quid as Bournemouth’s long-serving Bhs store hangs up its boots and makes  way for another branch of the fast growing retail beast that is Primark.

To be honest, Bhs can seem trapped in a bit of a time-warp, with rails of floral dresses and blouses as much in evidence today as  when it opened its doors in 1972.

However a lot of people in the town like to shop there and regard it with real affection. By the way its breakfasts are brilliant, too, according to someone who knows about these things. Now the harsh reality is now that 350 staff in Bournemouth will lose their jobs this year and a spokesperson for the holding group Arcadia confirmed that 10 stores in all would close in what was described as a “phased programme” with the leases being sold on to Primark.

The spokesperson added that the store staff were told on Friday last week and are now in a consultation process with the relevant head office teams who will discuss their options and work closely with Arcadia brands and other retailers in the local area to support individuals to find alternative employment.

The current situation has come about because of a deal brokered by retail tycoon Sir Philip Green, owner of Arcadia, which also has Topshop and Dorothy Perkins under its umbrella, as part of a wider re-evaluation of his property portfolio, a trend that’s expected to accelerate, allowing him to offload up to 300 small stores.

On the positive side, teenage fashion junkies and bargain boob-tube hunters will be delighted to learn that the new Commercial Road Primark store could be trading by Christmas, just in time for the purchasing of all cheap, spangly party frocks and winter coats for a tenner. It is easy to understand Primark’s appeal and why the phenomenon shows no sign of waning. Cash-poor teens can afford to copy their favourite fashion icons thanks to entire outfits costing about the equivalent of a trip to the movies.