Fears have voiced that the closure of large shop in a Nottinghamshire town could result in a 'eyesore' if a replacement is not quickly found. Oxfam's large homewares store in Nottingham Road, Arnold, closed on Friday, May 19, after the international charity decided it was no longer profitable enough to justify running.
The charity's other Arnold branch, located in Front Street, will remain open. Locals saw the closure of the prominent shop as another sign of the economic pressures building on high street businesses, and as a potential problem for the town.
Mick Payne, 76, from Arnold, said he had bought from and donated items to the shop in the past. "If you cannot make profit then it's obviously not worth it, but its just surprising they could not make enough there," Mr Payne said.
Which member of the Royal Family are you? Take our quiz here
"It is a sign of the times really. Arnold has done fairly well [in terms of shops lost] compared to other places, but is a shame and I used to pop in regularly."
Sean Chapman, 54, a tarmacer from Arnold, said: "We can't have it go to wreck and ruin. If it doesn't get re-used it will become an eyesore and a target for thugs that go around putting windows through."
Mr Chapman reasoned the unit was too large for local businesses and thought it would be better to split the unit into three. "It is a prime location. It shows you something is wrong when charity shops are having to close, seeing as they pay less tax and have volunteers."
The number of job losses as a result of this decision have not been disclosed, but the organisation explained it had considered the impact on staff and volunteers before making the decision. John Money, 78, a retiree from Arnold, used to drop in to buy toys for his grandchildren.
"It is the rents and rates that do it I think. I used to pop in at least once a week to buy toys for my grandkids.
"These shops can't keep up with the costs, three charity shops closed last year here too. If charity shops can't keep going who can?"
An Oxfam spokesperson said the shop was no longer raising an adequate amount of money towards the charity's goal of alleviating global poverty. “Oxfam shops exist to raise as much money as possible to overcome poverty and suffering in some of the poorest countries in the world. We constantly evaluate the profitability of all our shops, to ensure they are efficient and making the most money for Oxfam's vital work," the spokesperson said.
“Sometimes this leads to difficult decisions about the viability of particular shops. These decisions are never taken lightly and we always take into account the impact on our staff and volunteers.
“We have made the difficult decision to close the Oxfam homewares store on Nottingham Road, Arnold, on Friday 19 May. However, the Oxfam store on Front Street will remain open and customers can continue to support us there as they have done so generously over the years.”
Do you think all residential roads should have a 20mph speed limit? Let us know
READ NEXT:
