Two more big names to close in town centre mall
8:59am Wednesday 23rd January 2013 in News
MORE retail jobs face the axe with the closure of another two Bolton town centre shops.
Five staff at The Body Shop and seven workers at Topman, both in the Market Place Shopping Centre, face relocation or redundancy when the outlets close in March.
Staff at the two sites were unable to comment yesterday but a Body Shop spokesman said: “The Bolton shop will close on March 2 as it is no longer financially viable and we are refurbishing three other Manchester city centre and Trafford Centre stores into Body Shop Bou-tiques.
“We will try to relocate staff to other stores if possible and will look after them.”
It is understood that Topman is trying to relocate its staff too, although no official comment was available as The Bolton News went to press last night.
Shop staff confirmed it was to close but said they could not comment.
Topman, based on the Market Place’s upper floor, has seven staff and is part of the Arcadia Group, which also owns Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins.
The mall’s former Topshop branch was closed last year, as was the Burton shop in Deansgate, which had been there for 75 years and shared premises with Dorothy Perkins at the time of closure.
Some of the shops’ 20 staff faced redundancy or left while others went to branches in Bury, Wigan or the Trafford Centre.
Dorothy Perkins opened an outlet in the refurbished BHS store in Crompton Place.
Market Place manager Rod Neasham said he wanted to wait for official confirmation before commenting.
Yesterday’s developments followed news that three Blockbuster DVD rental shops are to close in Chorley Old Road, Horwich and Westhoughton.
Jessops closed its Bolton town centre photography shop two weeks ago while HMV went into administration last week. Shop bosses blamed online shopping, changing technology and the recession.
However, HMV administrators yesterday said they remained hopeful that the chain would stay in business.
They also confirmed that gift cards can now be redeemed in stores and proceeds from the sale of charity releases including the recent Hillsborough Justice Collective single would be paid in full as soon as possible.
Comments(44)
Father Jack
says...
9:28am Wed 23 Jan 13
questionairre
says...
9:30am Wed 23 Jan 13
Very American !
Don't try to be something your not.
The market hall should be looking at its traditional roots and doing what it did well - being a market.
I seldom go in there at all, what; with the with the replica shops and plastic smiles you get every where, whats the point ?
Send the powers that be on a fact finding mission (funded by councillor morris) to Budapest central market to see how a market should be run.
Food outlets selling traditional foods, farmers selling produce and most importantly small business's being there and not multinational companies who don't give a hoot about the town.
bring it on !
Chrome1
says...
9:54am Wed 23 Jan 13
1. Republic
2. Beales
3. Wilkinsons
(By the end of 2014)
steveG
says...
10:16am Wed 23 Jan 13
Encouragement needed for small businesses.
Boltonresident2012
says...
10:28am Wed 23 Jan 13
questionairre wrote:absolutely agree - Bolton should build on whatever strengths it has rather than trying to be what it is not ...
The mall’s former Topshop branch was closed last year,
Very American !
Don't try to be something your not.
The market hall should be looking at its traditional roots and doing what it did well - being a market.
I seldom go in there at all, what; with the with the replica shops and plastic smiles you get every where, whats the point ?
Send the powers that be on a fact finding mission (funded by councillor morris) to Budapest central market to see how a market should be run.
Food outlets selling traditional foods, farmers selling produce and most importantly small business's being there and not multinational companies who don't give a hoot about the town.
bring it on !
Boltonresident2012
says...
10:30am Wed 23 Jan 13
alecfranco
says...
10:38am Wed 23 Jan 13
The-Boltonian
says...
11:15am Wed 23 Jan 13
steveG wrote:I tried to set up a small business and wanted to lease one of the small pod shops at the octagon car park and the guy at the council said they were all let even though 4 were empty (2 years ago) and they are mostly still empty now and I get the same answer each time I ask.
Bolton town centre - a shadow of its former self and a victim of the Councils globalisation policy.
Encouragement needed for small businesses.
Definitely Encouragement needed for small businesses.
Now if only Tonka Morris would resign.......
sunfun
says...
12:42pm Wed 23 Jan 13
boltonnut
says...
1:46pm Wed 23 Jan 13
ar) or some one like that but they probably had scumone like Morris in mind.Shame on you.
Hulton Park
says...
3:28pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Shame on Bolton Council, who ignored the wishes of the people so blatantly. How very socialist, in the most traditional, Soviet-bloc sense.
Muppet80
says...
5:06pm Wed 23 Jan 13
AdeleTeresa
says...
5:46pm Wed 23 Jan 13
The Morrigan - Tuatha De Danann
says...
6:17pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Departures in the last 12 - 24 months - 'Early Learning Centre' 'Sweetens' bookshop, the little trinket shop next door to the Man and Scythe - all gone.
For a nostalgia trip take a peek on 'Youtube - Bolton Town Centre 1992 - how much nicer and cleaner Bolton looked back then.
Look at the long gone shops - Richards, Etam, Tammy Girl, Paris Touch, Hanburys, Serendipitys, Kew House etc., also , Hick Hargreaves & Co., The Water Place, how different the town looks now, especially Newport Street which always looks grubby apart from the 'Olympus' which is a credit to the area.
Maybe Bolton should have had an elected Mayor - not one from a political party but someone with excellent business acumen and a strong commitment to turn around this now woeful town centre, I think the gentleman from the Olympus chip shop would have been an ideal choice.
Kayj21
says...
6:46pm Wed 23 Jan 13
dougie kay
says...
8:38pm Wed 23 Jan 13
AdeleTeresa wrote:crappy shopping in Bolton soon you say! where have you been hibernating these past few years? shopping in Bolton has been crap since they shut down .the market hall and revamped the out door market..I am Bolton born and bred.love the area around my home town . Unfortunately the town center is an embarrassing eyesore ,stinking of fast food stalls ,litter along with gum stains dotted all over the precinct .
It's gonna be pretty crappy shopping in Bolton soon!
ownerdriver
says...
9:32pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Tim Burr
says...
10:24pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Manchester used to have free parking on Sundays which was great but not any more, the City is a ghost town Sundays but will any of them learn?
NCP has built a staggering amount of parking places in Bolton since the introduction of the parking Police, it makes you wonder, have we been slowly herded like sheep?
Love Bolton
says...
10:56pm Wed 23 Jan 13
Internet shopping is definitely here to stay, but as crime rises on deliveries, we will probably see increased costs in deliveries to guarantee goods arriving to cover insurance, and it will become 'cheaper' to click and collect locally.
So, contrary to those who think the town centre is dead, I am expecting to see a lot more activity.
I also regret the demise of the old market hall, and miss some of the stalls that left Bolton.
If landlords invest in start ups we may start to see a more interesting high street than the homogeonised non-boutique, "same old same old" Trafford Centre.
I wonder if Mary Portas would be interested?
ARBEE
says...
2:31am Thu 24 Jan 13
boydell
says...
10:26am Thu 24 Jan 13
It would save people from afar driving into the town only to find half of the shops empty and traffic wardens waiting to jump out of doorways to put tickets on cars two minutes over the meter time.
Its about time someone in the council done something about the situation and started earning their salary, instead of just putting in the hours waiting for their big pension date.
AdeleTeresa
says...
12:03pm Thu 24 Jan 13
dougie kay wrote:OK crappy-er then LOL I still like our market though =)
AdeleTeresa wrote:crappy shopping in Bolton soon you say! where have you been hibernating these past few years? shopping in Bolton has been crap since they shut down .the market hall and revamped the out door market..I am Bolton born and bred.love the area around my home town . Unfortunately the town center is an embarrassing eyesore ,stinking of fast food stalls ,litter along with gum stains dotted all over the precinct .
It's gonna be pretty crappy shopping in Bolton soon!
cliff4treasurer
says...
12:53pm Thu 24 Jan 13
suffrinmick
says...
4:49pm Thu 24 Jan 13
BWFC71
says...
5:02pm Thu 24 Jan 13
But since I last visted the town centre - over 6 years ago, I noticed that Dixons has also gone, as well as the well advertised retreat of various national chain-stores. The town centre is a complete mess, an eye-sore and very unwelcomining.
But let us not worry about it as its all under control and our privilieged know best and are doing their best for the town and probably have something to surprise us with (excluding the new Bus Station and the Market redevelopment). As Cllr Morris says the town centre is a thriving cognate of the borough - one thing I do need to ask, though, where can I buy the same sand and hard drugs that Cllr Morris uses everyday to escape the reality of the dying town???
ownerdriver
says...
10:00pm Thu 24 Jan 13
BWFC71 wrote:They put something in the tea at the town hall.
Business Rates on all properties are NOT set by Bolton council but by Central government - only Bolton council collects the rates and then sends them on to London to be redistributed - very akin to the EU project! Then, of course, there is building rents which are set by the various private Landlords who are there to make profit at any cost!!!
But since I last visted the town centre - over 6 years ago, I noticed that Dixons has also gone, as well as the well advertised retreat of various national chain-stores. The town centre is a complete mess, an eye-sore and very unwelcomining.
But let us not worry about it as its all under control and our privilieged know best and are doing their best for the town and probably have something to surprise us with (excluding the new Bus Station and the Market redevelopment). As Cllr Morris says the town centre is a thriving cognate of the borough - one thing I do need to ask, though, where can I buy the same sand and hard drugs that Cllr Morris uses everyday to escape the reality of the dying town???
ownerdriver
says...
10:07pm Thu 24 Jan 13
Anne W.
says...
11:48pm Thu 24 Jan 13
Why don't the powers that be go on a fact finding mission to Bury and Wigan
What are they doing that Bolton is not
We cannot sit back in apathy and watch our town centre destroyed
As is the case of Smithills Coaching House
Come on people of Bolton,instead of individual moans, lets be of one voice
Albinosupport
says...
12:30pm Fri 25 Jan 13
pjgarside
says...
5:29pm Fri 25 Jan 13
Albinosupport I welcome your comments about the Town Hall area (Victoria Square) I was the victim of being hit in the face by a ball by IDIOTS playing football in a Civic square. Let alone all the skateboarders who have their own place to demonstrate their moranic behaviour It seems they want to impose it on everyone else.
Lets put it this way Bolton is SH*T.
When the councillors come out of the ivory tower and stop behaving like idiots. The Rock in Bury is a true testament to how things should be done.
Bolton wants city status? Bolton has a long long way to go.
Old Boltonian
says...
6:28pm Fri 25 Jan 13
sunfun wrote:Totally agree with these comments. Parking charges are just adding to the sorry mess Bolton is in now.Why bother to drive in on congested, potholed roads, just to park expensively to wander around the town, which just depresses me really; most of the decent shops gone, filthy streets full of rubbish, third rate shops and lets not get onto the people. Most days it seems to resemble some run down1950's Eastern European town. I am old enough to remember when Bolton was a great Northern town, full of atmosphere and life, thronging crowds, great shopping opportunities. ( and that not too long ago either!) Mostly you just didn't need to go to Manchester to get what you needed. Strong competition kept up quality and kept down prices. Our politicians of whatever political cast just seem so inept and incapable of summoning up the energy and ideas to get us out of this horrible rut. I have lived in Egerton for over 25 years and have yet to clap eyes on any of my local councilors, who however always seem to be returned with a healthy majority every few years. . Pigs and blue rosettes spring to mind in our so called semi rural 'suburbs'.Tory cuts haven't helped certainly, but there's something rotten and defeated about the place these last few years. Sadly, Bolton seems to be dying.
Well it is cheaper and sometime quicker to drive to the Trafford centre to do my shopping, than pay a king’s ransom to park in Bolton, after waiting in a traffic jam for an age just to get in to town. If shopping out of town is killing Bolton town centre then I am “guilty”. However the politicians there consultants and there advisers WHO WE THE TAX PAYER ARE FUNDING OUT OF OUR MONEY) at local and nationwide level need to take a good look at themselves. WE NEED IN THIS TOWN CENTER 4000 MORE FREE PARKING SPACES. WE NEED THE A666 BLACKBURN/ TONG MORE ROAD BYPASS TO BE BUILT ASAP, WE NEED TO SCRAP THE DEAN ROAD AND DERBY STREET BUS LANES AND THE PARKING BAYS AND PUT IN MORE LANES FOR PEOPLE TO DRIVE IN! ASLO GETTING RID OF THE OVER OFFICAS PARKING ATENDANTS MIGHT MAKE THE TOWN CENTER MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SHOPERS.
BWFC71
says...
6:46pm Fri 25 Jan 13
The plan was to create a Trafford Centre style shopping centre (long before The Trafford Centre) behind Victoria Hall and have a cultural part leading on to it - whatever happened to than plan?
There was plan for an entertainment zone with cinemas, swimming pool (Water Place style), skating, lazer quest etc - whatever happened to that idea?
There was a plan to rejuenate Church Wharf and Churchgate into a "Castlefield" tyoe area with accomodation and stylish bars (not the more recent idea of retail untes, shops and apartments but one dating back 20-25 years) what happened to that idea.
If all of teh above had taken place then all areas off the town would have been rejuventaed and the demise would probably be nowhere near as bad as it currently is - there is a demise of the high street in the whole of the UK but some towns are being clever in what they do, whereas Bolton are doing sweet FA and have no back-up plan!
Bolron just seem to bulldoze history, sell off its assets that attract people and cancel practices such as The Bolton Show.
peggy08
says...
9:26pm Fri 25 Jan 13
questionairre wrote:They took the heart out of bolton when they redeveloped the market hall.Why when something isnt broken do these idiots come along and attempt to mend it Give the people what they want not what some overpaid not got a clue council think they should have
The mall’s former Topshop branch was closed last year,
Very American !
Don't try to be something your not.
The market hall should be looking at its traditional roots and doing what it did well - being a market.
I seldom go in there at all, what; with the with the replica shops and plastic smiles you get every where, whats the point ?
Send the powers that be on a fact finding mission (funded by councillor morris) to Budapest central market to see how a market should be run.
Food outlets selling traditional foods, farmers selling produce and most importantly small business's being there and not multinational companies who don't give a hoot about the town.
bring it on !
Boomfs
says...
9:35pm Fri 25 Jan 13
Boomfs
says...
9:38pm Fri 25 Jan 13
BWFC71
says...
10:18pm Fri 25 Jan 13
peggy08 wrote:The Council sold the market Hall for a one-off lump sum. They actually sold the Freehold to the land as well!!!!
questionairre wrote:They took the heart out of bolton when they redeveloped the market hall.Why when something isnt broken do these idiots come along and attempt to mend it Give the people what they want not what some overpaid not got a clue council think they should have
The mall’s former Topshop branch was closed last year,
Very American !
Don't try to be something your not.
The market hall should be looking at its traditional roots and doing what it did well - being a market.
I seldom go in there at all, what; with the with the replica shops and plastic smiles you get every where, whats the point ?
Send the powers that be on a fact finding mission (funded by councillor morris) to Budapest central market to see how a market should be run.
Food outlets selling traditional foods, farmers selling produce and most importantly small business's being there and not multinational companies who don't give a hoot about the town.
bring it on !
The Market Hall was a steady, if not much, income and was viable as the building had only just been done up within teh 10 years previous and would have lasted for a few more decades before any other major investment to the building.
And to sell the freehold, instead of creating a Leasehold and gaining an income that way - that was complete stupidity on behalf of the council!
This is coming from the Labour run council who re-introduced weekly bin collections to get the vote to stay in and then froze the Council Tax for a year, again to gain teh vote - whats happened since rises in teh council tax and the impending removal of the weekly bin collections. The council leaders are shysters and ought to be removed as soon as possible.
Bring on the revolution!!!
Leon.Riley
says...
11:28pm Fri 25 Jan 13
sunfun wrote:How can it be "cheaper and quicker" .. I don't know which part of Bolton you live in that will get you in a longer waiting traffic Jam to the Town Centre compared to a busy motorway for one ..Two you are spending more on petrol and three, every time I go to the trafford Centre it's packed out!, Face it..The economy is not due to it being "Bolton" it's due to the fact that we are a small Town and not a City like Manchester/Preston London etc ..who can keep businesses thriving for longer due to having more people living there, it's down to circumstances like people preferring to buy online or going onto ebay, I've more than once bought something from a top high street store for way more than half it's price, so why go buy for top whack in Town? also prices everywhere have gone up (rent etc) and we don't have dole dossers spending anymore cos there payments have gone down for housing benefit n tax
Well it is cheaper and sometime quicker to drive to the Trafford centre to do my shopping, than pay a king’s ransom to park in Bolton, after waiting in a traffic jam for an age just to get in to town. If shopping out of town is killing Bolton town centre then I am “guilty”. However the politicians there consultants and there advisers WHO WE THE TAX PAYER ARE FUNDING OUT OF OUR MONEY) at local and nationwide level need to take a good look at themselves. WE NEED IN THIS TOWN CENTER 4000 MORE FREE PARKING SPACES. WE NEED THE A666 BLACKBURN/ TONG MORE ROAD BYPASS TO BE BUILT ASAP, WE NEED TO SCRAP THE DEAN ROAD AND DERBY STREET BUS LANES AND THE PARKING BAYS AND PUT IN MORE LANES FOR PEOPLE TO DRIVE IN! ASLO GETTING RID OF THE OVER OFFICAS PARKING ATENDANTS MIGHT MAKE THE TOWN CENTER MORE ATTRACTIVE TO SHOPERS.
Leon.Riley
says...
11:31pm Fri 25 Jan 13
Leon.Riley
says...
11:41pm Fri 25 Jan 13
BWFC71 wrote:I'll tell you what happened to those plans.. MONEY! They spent WAY over budget on everything that didn't need to be changed! .. The original old style market made the Town unique, with tons of good stores that where purse friendly, we're not a City like Manchester and can't afford the up-market stores that they introduced, so many don't even venture into them! We are still very much set in our old ways and there is nothing wrong with that!..The Arch thing near the Train Station...WTH is that!? .. Why is it needed and why the hell was so much money wasted on it?! .,. it's ridiculous and does nothing for the Town whatsoever. they could of spent the money wisely on so many things but alas they wasted it.. There is nothing in the Town Centre entertainment wise anymore, the Cinemas has moved to either The Valley (which is so out of the way for many and in an area which feels dangerous to go to at night) ..laser quest went the Swimming Baths went .. all we have now is over priced trash and way too many cafes!, which probably hands down make more money than all the shops combined.
The plan for Nelson Square was to pedestrianise it and make it more of a European style square with tables and being able to sit eat and drink when warm (I know very rarely) - so what happened to that idea?
The plan was to create a Trafford Centre style shopping centre (long before The Trafford Centre) behind Victoria Hall and have a cultural part leading on to it - whatever happened to than plan?
There was plan for an entertainment zone with cinemas, swimming pool (Water Place style), skating, lazer quest etc - whatever happened to that idea?
There was a plan to rejuenate Church Wharf and Churchgate into a "Castlefield" tyoe area with accomodation and stylish bars (not the more recent idea of retail untes, shops and apartments but one dating back 20-25 years) what happened to that idea.
If all of teh above had taken place then all areas off the town would have been rejuventaed and the demise would probably be nowhere near as bad as it currently is - there is a demise of the high street in the whole of the UK but some towns are being clever in what they do, whereas Bolton are doing sweet FA and have no back-up plan!
Bolron just seem to bulldoze history, sell off its assets that attract people and cancel practices such as The Bolton Show.
mo davies
says...
9:38am Sat 26 Jan 13
BWFC71
says...
12:19pm Sat 26 Jan 13
Leon.Riley wrote:Best asking Grosvenor Estates as its them Bolton sold its town centre heart to.
btw ...Does anyone know how much rent The Market Place charges for it's unit's :o...no wonder many businesses are failing here ..it's astronomical
ohboltonweloveu
says...
8:06pm Sun 27 Jan 13
SylviaW
says...
6:56am Tue 29 Jan 13
dougie kay wrote:I couldn't agree more. When they changed the market hall and outdoor market they ripped out the soul of Bolton. Not shopped here in years and won't do again while there are much more interesting towns like chorley, Bury and Preston to go to.
AdeleTeresa wrote:crappy shopping in Bolton soon you say! where have you been hibernating these past few years? shopping in Bolton has been crap since they shut down .the market hall and revamped the out door market..I am Bolton born and bred.love the area around my home town . Unfortunately the town center is an embarrassing eyesore ,stinking of fast food stalls ,litter along with gum stains dotted all over the precinct .
It's gonna be pretty crappy shopping in Bolton soon!
georgethebrave says...
9:24am Wed 23 Jan 13