Mothercare is shutting 50 of its stores – but the York branch looks safe.
The national retailer announced today it was axing 50 underperforming stores, with the loss of hundreds of jobs.
But a document leaked on Twitter suggests that the store at Clifton Moor could be spared.
A list released by Scottish property consultancy Ditchfield Property stated stores in Bradford, Harrogate, Doncaster and Rotherham were the ones in Yorkshire set to be closed.
No official confirmation of this list has been forthcoming from Mothercare, who said: “We can’t comment on individual store closures until all staff have been informed, which is our absolute priority.”
Brutal set of results
The shake-up comes alongside a brutal set of annual results. Mothercare swung to a £72.8 million pre-tax loss in the year to March 24, which compares with a £7.1 million profit in 2017.
On an adjusted basis, pre-tax profits plummeted 88.3% to just £2.3 million.
In the UK, losses swelled from £9.7 million to £79.4 million.
And in a move that will stun many observers, Mark Newton Jones, who was given the elbow as chief executive last month, will return to the fold and once again take the top job.
It is the latest retailer to suffer. Since January, Toys R Us and Maplin have filed for administration, while fashion retailers such as New Look and Select have embarked on radical store closure programmes.