Flagship store pulls out after 75 years in town

9:44am Saturday 29th September 2012 in Local

ONE of Bolton’s most familiar high street shops is closing down after 75 years in Bolton town centre.

Twenty workers are affected by the partial relocation and closure of the joint Burtons-Dorothy Perkins store in Deansgate.

Some staff face redundancy or have left while others are going to neighbouring branches in Bury or the Trafford Centre, it is understood. The Deansgate site is due to shut on Saturday, October 6.

Workers declined to comment yesterday, but signs outside Burtons stated: ‘We’re closing. Your nearest store is at Standishgate, Wigan, or shop online.”

Meanwhile Dorothy Perkins has opened an outlet in the refurbished BHS store at Crompton Place, which has been running for the last four months.

A sign outside its Deansgate outlet yesterday stated: ‘It’s not goodbye.

When we close, visit Dorothy Perkins within BHS.”

Burtons’ parent firm Arcadia has other shops in Bolton, including Top Man and Top Shop in the Market Place.

Arcadia Group had not replied to The Bolton News’ request for information at time of going to press.

Burtons was one of the company’s first flagship stores to open in the North West, using cloth from the mills in Bolton for their suits. Stanley Howard Burton, son of store founder Montague Burton, laid the foundation stone outside the Deansgate store in 1940. Keith Davies, Bolton Council’s head of economic development and regeneration, said: “It’s disappointing to lose a retailer of this stature at this site in the town centre.

“We understand the many difficulties retailers are facing nationally, but we will be liaising with agents for the property to ensure a new occupant is found as soon as possible.”

Shoppers expressed sadness at the news, blaming online competition and rival locations.

Abbie Williams, aged 19, from Walkden , said: “I normally come here with my boyfriend, who goes to Burtons. When it shuts we will have to go to the Trafford Centre. I think shutting this branch will be bad for the town centre — it’s quite sad for Bolton.”

Katie Holden, aged 25, from Edgworth, said: “There are not that many shops in Bolton as it is, so getting rid of one that caters for men and women in the same store is a bit odd.”

Jean Bellew, aged 71, from Great Lever, said: “It’s just another empty shop.

“Everywhere you look there is an empty shop.”

Comments(28)

Boltonlass20 says...
10:13am Sat 29 Sep 12

I think perhaps Bolton News journalists should do their research...Topshop has been closed down for months!

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oftbewildered2 says...
11:17am Sat 29 Sep 12

In any town centre there are too many fashion shops selling the same types of clothes aimed at a small cross section of the market. I hate the new BHS and Debenhams. Loved both these stores when they operated under their own banners. I know Burtons-Dorothy Perkins customers will be disappointed, but if not enough people buy the goods and the shop cannot afford to remain open, then there is no option but to close it.

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William2701 says...
11:28am Sat 29 Sep 12

Another nail in the coffin of Bolton Town Centre whilst Cllr Morris and cronies have us believe everything is booming.

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maz1492 says...
11:40am Sat 29 Sep 12

Today i'm going to look for a new jumper and a casual jacket, as usual I won't be going into Bolton town centre because I like to shop without constantly watching the time and worrying about getting back to my car before I get booked!!!

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Reality50 says...
11:56am Sat 29 Sep 12

Bolton is twice the size of Bury and a third bigger than Wigan yet our town centre is dead compared to theirs.We have the population size so the fault lies firmly with the council.We need people with vision running the town not old has beens or never was's with no idea how to change things for the better.

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danssoncabaret says...
3:47pm Sat 29 Sep 12

William2701 wrote:
Another nail in the coffin of Bolton Town Centre whilst Cllr Morris and cronies have us believe everything is booming.
Seems like every thing they have a hand in turns into crud.

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danssoncabaret says...
3:49pm Sat 29 Sep 12

William2701 wrote:
Another nail in the coffin of Bolton Town Centre whilst Cllr Morris and cronies have us believe everything is booming.
Everything Bolton council has a hand in turns to mush.

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oftbewildered2 says...
7:17pm Sat 29 Sep 12

well everyone - when the next elections come up, turn out and put your cross in the right place. If you don't vote you have no right to moan - so vote, vote, vote, even if you never usually do so. Let;s have the highest turnout ever. And if anyone wants to ask me, yes I do and have ever since I was 18

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dljumbo says...
8:58pm Sat 29 Sep 12

Best Town Hall in the North West with an inept council. The Victorian residents who built the Town Hall must wonder at the mess successive councils have created.

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sparkyspain says...
12:01pm Sun 30 Sep 12

i am quite happy that I jumped ship 12 years back
Life on The Costa's is good

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watchmaker says...
10:33pm Sun 30 Sep 12

This needs to be a wake up call to Bolton MBC to really pull out every tool in the box to try and keep this flagship store in our town. Why is Bolton so obsessed with it's carparks and making it so unfriendly for shoppers? Can they look at the business rates and make our town the best place for stores to invest...Just be a little bit different to the rest in the region.
Send a message that we are Pro enterprise and pro jobs for Boltonians.. not just a council trying to screw every taxpayer out of their last penny..

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watchmaker says...
10:57pm Sun 30 Sep 12

Why has Keith Davies already resigned himself that the store is leaving and ready to help re-occupy it? We don't want another cash exchange/pawn shop thank you...

This looks like a failure on your watch, what have you and the council done to try and keep this store in the town?
Do you know if the Farnworth is next for the chop?

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watchmaker says...
10:58pm Sun 30 Sep 12

*store

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watchmaker says...
10:58pm Sun 30 Sep 12

*store

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Wigan Trotter says...
7:45am Mon 1 Oct 12

Looks like Bolton has got its share of Council Bashers like Wigan and other towns!

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Wigan Trotter says...
7:52am Mon 1 Oct 12

Looks like Bolton has got its share of Council Bashers like Wigan and other towns

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MarkAllRead says...
10:34am Mon 1 Oct 12

The lack of free parking in the town centre claims another victim. They want people to catch buses into town, but that means that the only people that bother are the type of people that don't have cars.. and don't have money. Pensioners, kids, chavs, doleys etc..

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boydell says...
12:12pm Mon 1 Oct 12

When I go into Bolton on my free bus pass I spend plenty of money.Before I got to pension age and got my pass, I was forever getting parking tickets for one or two minutes over the time. It can soon put people off driving into Bolton when a few pounds of groceries can cost a ticket fine. Why don't the shops wake up and realise that the reason people don't shop in Bolton is the fear of going over the time. The shops pay enough in rates, they should demand free spaces for shoppers. The out of town shoppers don't have to pay and these shops are booming.

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manonthestreet says...
2:04pm Mon 1 Oct 12

Coming soon...a german footwear retailer. You heard it here first.

Problem is rates are WAY too high. The incoming tenant will be paying about 3 times less than the rating assessment - the rates and the parking are killing the town (and many others) - why would you shop there consistently as opposed to going to the retail parks and Trafford?

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I, Ludicrous says...
2:11pm Mon 1 Oct 12

I really don't see how the council are responsible for Burtons selling absolute 5hite!

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DaveLister says...
2:43pm Mon 1 Oct 12

I understand people frustration with this staore closing, but it no all down to the council. Business rates are set nationally, and if a store isn't making any money a company cannot keep it open.

I agree that car parking is much more of an issue than the elected members think (they get spaces provided so don't see the issue first hand). But the council has sold off all it car parking to NCP with a clause which stops any free on street car paking in town centre.

If nothing else make Saturdays free this would bring in lost of business for the town centre, even if council has to pay NCP for their lost revenue.

Can we get way from blaming it on on Cllr Morris, he's only there because we put him there. Next election he'll get re-elected because he's the Labour party candidate, stop whining and vote him out, or accept he's doing your bidding.

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glenn b says...
5:03am Tue 2 Oct 12

Soon to be another charity shop

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Comment777 says...
8:50am Tue 2 Oct 12

To make those that make the decisions take notice I would suggest you do not shop in Bolton Town Centre for the next 6 months, take a trip to bury with its traditional market and indoor shopping centre or maybe take some time to visit the Trafford Centre, free parking and if it is raining no need to take the umbrella as everything is under one roof...shop, eat, watch that film you meant to see or just socialise in pleasant, bright and clean environs.
If and it is a big ask that this was embraced by the people of Bolton I believe it would also reduce if not eliminate the problems caused by undesirable element of Bolton's society from the Town centre as they would have no one to harass, intimidate or steal from...

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William2701 says...
12:40pm Tue 2 Oct 12

DaveLister wrote:
I understand people frustration with this staore closing, but it no all down to the council. Business rates are set nationally, and if a store isn't making any money a company cannot keep it open. I agree that car parking is much more of an issue than the elected members think (they get spaces provided so don't see the issue first hand). But the council has sold off all it car parking to NCP with a clause which stops any free on street car paking in town centre. If nothing else make Saturdays free this would bring in lost of business for the town centre, even if council has to pay NCP for their lost revenue. Can we get way from blaming it on on Cllr Morris, he's only there because we put him there. Next election he'll get re-elected because he's the Labour party candidate, stop whining and vote him out, or accept he's doing your bidding.
I did not put Cllr Morris in office as I didn't vote for him. Also the public don't vote for the Council Leader, the Labour group did.

I did vote at the last election, I didn't vote Labour.

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William2701 says...
12:42pm Tue 2 Oct 12

oftbewildered2 wrote:
well everyone - when the next elections come up, turn out and put your cross in the right place. If you don't vote you have no right to moan - so vote, vote, vote, even if you never usually do so. Let;s have the highest turnout ever. And if anyone wants to ask me, yes I do and have ever since I was 18
I did vote, that's why in your words I am moaning, however too many people don't vote or are obviously happy with Labour running the council and running the town into the ground.

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BWFC71 says...
3:50pm Tue 2 Oct 12

MarkAllRead wrote:
The lack of free parking in the town centre claims another victim. They want people to catch buses into town, but that means that the only people that bother are the type of people that don't have cars.. and don't have money. Pensioners, kids, chavs, doleys etc..
You need money to catch a bus into town nowadays! A single fare from Darcy Lever is just shy of 3 quid nowadays and a return fare is double that, now times that by number of people in a family, usually 4, and that equates to just under 12 quid just to go into town, and how much is parking nowadays???

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BWFC71 says...
4:02pm Tue 2 Oct 12

Lets not forget that very soon on that corner there will soon be 3 empty retail units. The old Alliance & Leicester/Santander building will be empty as they move all 3 branches into one building. The RBS branch which has been bought by Santander, along with the accounts based at that branch, will also probably close due to not fitting in with Santander's portfolio - also heard whisper they want to be on Victoria Square along with HSBC and Barclays and I know of a couple of empty units on the square!!! And now Burtons moving out, that will just leave the shoe shop by itself!!! (also do not forget that the other Santander branch (the old Abbey National Branch) will also close - so how many empty units will be in that area of town, and yet MBC want to push through Church Wharf and other projects which will create even more retail units - they cannot fill the ones the town already has!!!

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bwfc58 says...
6:11pm Thu 4 Oct 12

Bolton is 4 times bigger than Bury and its the biggest town in the north west and one time Bolton was voted the best town centre in the north west but more than likely one of the worst towns now i used to be proud of Bolton being such a great Lancashire town and even Manchester did not come close all i can say is well done Cllr Morris you should not be in office

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