Paphos People

Yesterday we learned of the demise of the Arcadia group of Shops Burtons, Topshop etc. with the lost of 13,000 jobs.

NOW today we have just been told that Debenhams is closing all its stores with the loss of 12,000 jobs.

25,000 jobs plus subsidiary jobs, if you say 5, 000 we are on our knees, what will our high streets look like next year, very sad indeed.

Very sad news

Covid sending more and more people shopping on line this year

High rents ....high community taxes...high running costs

Probably means cheaper to run businesses online with staff in warehouses and using customer services by phones for all enquiries

Hopefully more jobs will be made behind the scenes

But sad for the uk high streets

Debenhams had a number of Arcadia concessions within its stores, so once Arcadia folded, Debenhams was destined to follow due to the income it would lose with the concessions no longer operating.

It's is going to leave a lot of gaps in the high streets!

This all seems to have started, years ago, when pedestrians took over our High Streets !
They paved the thoroughfares, placed a few car parks a long distance from the main shopping areas and then charged high prices to park your vehicles. Public transport systems were not adequate enough to cover for residents of outlying districts.
As shoppers did not want to carry heavy shopping long distances to their vehicles, 'out of town' shopping such as at Meadowhall in Sheffield became the norm .... Then the towns' businesses complained that they were losing trade and the once bustling streets with on-street parking became 'ghost areas' ! ------- The same is happening in Cyprus now
Compounded by the current Covid pandemic, I doubt that we will see much return to those former days of convenient trading.
We are becoming used to 'shopping online' and 'home delivery' ... being convenient and less expenditure of energy.
Sadly, it also means a lack of social contact ... during shopping, stopping for refreshment or just out for a stroll to 'window-shop'.
It is causing many to be insular, lacking exercise and less healthy.
When not being at work, we will need more gyms, leisure facilities, entertainment etc., at reasonable prices, to even get us out of our garden gates to socialize !
We are currently 'in flux' ... Some may have other words for it !
But .... Cheer up ! ... It could be worse ! ..... Stay safe !

Now it has been announced Bonmarché is closing down with a loss of 1500 jobs, so in 36 hours we have lost 26,500 direct jobs and how many associated jobs is incalculable, there will be a lot more before next April when the furlough scheme finishes.

Agreed that our shopping habits have changed, but some of it is down to shareholders greed and exorbitant rents, what also amazed me Mike Ashley of JD Sports (love him or hate him) offered to buy Debenhams, there were 2 obstacles the landlords would not bring their rents down and the shareholders wanted more (again GREED) so he walked away.

Either way lets spare a thought to those who are going to be out of work.

Truly horrific news ...just before Christmas for all of those workers

May this dreadful pandemic end soon
It has destroyed so many lives and businesses