Business News ‘Bitter blow’ of John Lewis closures
The closure of the John Lewis stores in Grand Central, Birmingham, and Tamworth were described as “bitterly disappointing blows” by the Chamber. The decision came a day after
the Chancellor’s economic statement in which he pledged to keep business moving but it was too late for John Lewis at least. Paul Faulkner, chief executive of
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “It is inevitable that we will have to suffer set- backs like this in the wake of the economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis but it doesn’t make the decision any easier to accept. “Shoppers will inevitably be
devastated but many people will lose their jobs as a result of the closure and the Chamber will do all it can to help mitigate the impact of that. “The irony is that many people in
Greater Birmingham had yearned for a John Lewis store to come to the city and after its arrival in 2015 it became an anchor institution, emblematic of Birmingham’s recent revival. “We need to see more ambitious
measures from the Government such as providing VAT cuts on
consumer goods and we have backed the British Chambers’ call for £100 voucher per household for consumer goods and services. “The Chancellor said he will do
what’s right – but he needs to prove that now and offer more
support not just for SMEs but bigger businesses, otherwise we could see a domino effect on the high-street. “The Government should also
restructure business rates to make firms more competitive and freeze
tax rises on businesses for the length of Parliament. “To protect jobs and
communities, we need to see more from the Government – and as today has shown, it can’t wait until the autumn statement.”
Shopping setback: John Lewis’ Birmingham store is to close its doors
August/September 2020 CHAMBERLINK9
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