Jobs at Mothercare World in Chester appear safe

May 19 2011 by Jo Henwood, Chester Chronicle

JOBS at Mothercare World at Chester’s Retail Park appear safe following an announcement that the company plans to close more than a quarter of its UK stores.

The decision follows an announcement of a 73 per cent fall in profits.

The closures will affect about 110 of the stores with plans to focus on the company’s wholesale activity, on-line sales and the more profitable out-of-town parenting centres.

Mothercare plc has not announced the list of stores affected by the closures but a spokesman from the Chester store, in Old Seal’s Way, confirmed its status as a parenting centre.

The company also runs Early Learning Centre and there is an ELC concession inside Mothercare World store.

A statement for the company confirms an expectation to renegotiate a substantially lower level of rent on a further 40 Mothercare stores.

Chief executive Ben Gordon said: “We expect the environment to remain challenging in the UK, although we will benefit from continued growth in wholesale and direct together with the acceleration of our property strategy.”

The closures will take place by 2013 and the company does not expect them to affect more than 250 staff overall.