M&S ROW: Council leader accuses Senedd candidate of using job losses for ‘deplorable’ election campaign

Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart has hit back at political opponents over the closure of the city’s M&S store, calling it “deplorable” that a Senedd candidate is using the potential loss of 90 local jobs for his election campaign.

The blistering attack comes in response to criticism from Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate Sam Bennett and Swansea Lib Dem leader Cllr Chris Holley, who yesterday questioned the council’s regeneration priorities in the wake of the M&S closure announcement.

In a statement, the Labour leader launched a full-throated defence of his administration’s record while attacking the previous Liberal Democrat-led council.

“It’s deplorable that Cllr Sam Bennett is using the closure of the store with the potential loss of 90 local jobs to try and further his Senedd election campaign,” Cllr Stewart said.

The attack is politically charged, as both men are candidates in the new Gŵyr Abertawe Senedd constituency for the 2026 election. Cllr Stewart is ranked second on the Welsh Labour list, while Cllr Bennett is the lead candidate for the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

He also criticised his Lib Dem counterpart, stating, “It’s also disappointing to see Cllr Holley doesn’t have confidence in Swansea, or its traders and businesses.”

Cllr Stewart claimed his opponents “have not openly supported any of the developments in Swansea delivered over the last 11 years” and are “critics of the £1.3bn city deal.”

He also revealed that M&S has not given up on the city, stating, “M&S are actively looking for a different location in Swansea and have acknowledged the positive impact the regeneration is having.”

He then turned his fire on the record of the previous Liberal Democrat administration, which was led by Cllr Holley for much of its tenure, and controlled Swansea Council from 2004-2012.

“The Lib Dems introduced the disastrous bendy bus, continually dug up the Kingsway and introduced the mad road system, and absolutely failed to invest and support local businesses to grow,” he said.

“They have no ambition for Swansea.”

NSLC closing downtown Halifax store following surge in thefts
The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation is closing its Scotia Square store in downtown Halifax, N.S., citing safety and security concerns, including a significant increase in the number of thefts.
#crime #security #storeclosure #downtownHalifax
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-liquor-corporation-thefts-retail-crime-scotia-square-nslc-9.7105087?cmp=rss

Politicians demand action as M&S closure sparks row over council “vanity projects”

Liberal Democrats have accused Swansea Council‘s Labour leadership of making “ridiculous” assurances about the impact of multimillion-pound regeneration schemes, pointing to recent claims that the new library would drive footfall to M&S.

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams MS has written to the Welsh Government demanding support for the 92 staff facing redundancy, describing the closure as a “sickeningly familiar story” of high streets losing historic stores.

The political fallout comes just days after M&S confirmed it will shut its Oxford Street store later this year, ending nearly a century of trading in the city centre.

Welsh Liberal Democrat lead Senedd candidate Cllr Sam Bennett said: “Time and time again the Labour Council Leader has assured us that the massive city centre projects would be the saving of the high street, and this announcement raises big questions.

“At the most recent Council meeting the Leader went as far to say how people were celebrating that the move of the library meant they could now go to M&S, this now sounds ridiculous.”

Cllr Chris Holley, Leader of the Opposition on Swansea Council and Welsh Lib Dem Group Leader, went further, claiming the council had privately assured them M&S would remain once the Yr Storfa development opened.

“We have continually asked and been told that Labour’s vanity projects would be the saving of our high street, and even been told in a meeting M&S would stay once Yr Storfa had opened,” he said.

“This is deeply embarrassing for Labour, and is a tragedy for the city centre workers and shoppers as the Swansea high street takes another blow.”

The Liberal Democrats say they have long called for cheaper and easier parking to encourage city centre use, alongside reforms to business rates and VAT cuts to support high street retailers.

Torsten Bell, Labour MP for Swansea West, struck a more conciliatory tone, expressing “deep disappointment” at the closure and focusing on the impact on staff and customers.

“This decision will be a blow to the many loyal customers who regularly use the store, and for the dedicated employees, some who have worked for M&S over many years,” Mr Bell said.

“They need to be shown the dignity and respect they deserve, while it’s vital they are treated fairly during this difficult time. I have already contacted Senior M&S Managers, with a meeting arranged for next Friday to discuss this further.”

Mr Bell noted the closure comes “at a time when the City Centre has seen huge regeneration at key sites and more top retailers showing confidence in Swansea.”

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for South Wales West, drew parallels with M&S’s departure from Neath in May 2024, saying the closures represent more than just job losses.

“As with Marks and Spencer’s departure from Neath in May 2024, this is more than losing a job or losing a shop, it’s losing a piece of local history,” she said.

“The Oxford Street store is an important part of many people’s lives, not least for the 92 who work there currently. During its 100 year presence in Swansea, there will have been people who have given their working lives to this store and loyal customers who have helped build this company’s multimillion pound profits.”

Ms Williams said she had written to the Welsh Government asking what support will be offered to staff, and will be writing to M&S to urge them to retain a full-line store in the area.

“I’m glad to see the company not ruling out maintaining a presence in Swansea, but that location should be in the city centre, and not out of town,” she added.

The closure announcement has raised questions about the effectiveness of Swansea Council’s regeneration strategy, which has seen millions of pounds invested in projects including the Copr Bay arena, the new library and museum complex, and the ongoing Yr Storfa development.

M&S has indicated it is considering alternative locations in the Swansea area, but has not confirmed whether any replacement store would be in the city centre or at an out-of-town retail park.

The Oxford Street store, which has traded for nearly 100 years, is expected to close later in 2026, with staff consultations now underway.

M&S to close 69-year-old Swansea store in ‘huge shock’ to council

The retailer confirmed the proposed closure is due to a “sustained decline in sales over 10 years,” making the huge Oxford Street store no longer viable. While no exact date has been set, the closure is planned for late 2026.

In a letter to council leader Rob Stewart, M&S Head of External Affairs, Adam Hawksbee, explained the decision was part of a UK-wide programme to ensure stores are in the “right space to deliver an excellent shopping experience.”

“This proposal follows a sustained decline in sales over 10 years, meaning it is no longer viable as a full-line store,” Mr Hawksbee wrote. “Our store rotation programme is about ensuring we have the right stores, in the right place with the right space to deliver an excellent shopping experience for our customers.”

Responding on Facebook, Cllr Rob Stewart called the decision “hugely disappointing” and a “huge shock to the council, as it will to the staff and customers.”

He revealed that the council had successfully worked behind the scenes to prevent the store from being included in previous national closure rounds.

“We had successfully worked behind the scenes engaging with M&S senior decision makers to avoid this store being included in the previous rounds of M&S closures and have been encouraging M&S to invest,” Cllr Stewart said. “However yesterday’s urgent meeting and the letter that followed, has come as a huge shock.”

An official Swansea Council statement added: “The news from M&S is extremely disappointing for staff and shoppers. We’ve spent several years actively working to prevent M&S closing at this location.”

Despite the closure, both parties have stated they are committed to keeping the M&S brand in Swansea. The council confirmed it will “do all we can to help M&S find an alternative store location in Swansea.”

This is reinforced in the M&S letter, which states: “Despite the proposed closure, M&S remains fully committed to serving customers across Wales… while actively looking for a suitable location for a future full-line M&S store in Swansea.”

Once the Oxford Street store closes, shoppers will still be able to visit M&S Foodhalls at Fforestfach Retail Park and in Mumbles. The nearest full-line department store will be at Parc Trostre in Llanelli.

The closure is another blow to the city centre, with the M&S building occupying a prime position next door to the council’s recently opened Y Storfa community hub, which itself is housed in the former BHS building.

The move is part of a wider national strategy that has already seen nearly 90 M&S stores close, including the Neath store in 2025.

Lotte Department Store will close its Bundang branch at the end of March 2026 following an agreement with the landlord, who plans to remodel the site into office and retail space. The company will support employees and partners during the transition.
#YonhapInfomax #LotteDepartmentStore #BundangBranch #StoreClosure #OfficeRemodeling #StakeholderSupport #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=96372

Homeplus, a leading South Korean hypermarket chain, is considering suspending operations at five loss-making stores by year-end due to worsening cash flow and delayed M&A, while guaranteeing full job security for affected employees.
#YonhapInfomax #Homeplus #StoreClosure #CashFlow #MergersAndAcquisitions #JobSecurity #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=93452

Homeplus, under court-led restructuring, failed to secure a preferred bidder and shifted its sale process to an open auction, while postponing the closure of 15 stores until year-end as negotiations with a potential buyer continue.
#YonhapInfomax #Homeplus #PreferredBidder #CorporateRehabilitation #StoreClosure #MANegotiations #Economics #FinancialMarkets #Banking #Securities #Bonds #StockMarket
https://en.infomaxai.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=85686

Port Talbot Bodycare store to close as retailer shuts 32 shops across UK

The retailer, which sells beauty products, fragrances and bathroom items, has confirmed around 450 of its 1,500‑strong workforce will be made redundant as a result of the closures. Four stores in Wales are affected — in Port Talbot, Newport, Rhyl and Wrexham.

Founded in 1970 in Lancashire, Bodycare said it had been hit by rising costs, delays in moving to a new online retail platform, and cost‑of‑living pressures on shoppers. The company also cited a funding shortfall after abandoning a planned stock market listing last year, which it said damaged supplier relationships and led to stock shortages.

Administrators from advisory firm Interpath have been appointed and are exploring a potential rescue sale of the business and its assets. The majority of Bodycare’s 147 UK stores will continue trading for now.

Nick Holloway, joint administrator and managing director at Interpath, said:

“These remain challenging times for high street retailers as rising costs and reduced consumer spending continue to weigh heavily on trading. Unfortunately for Bodycare, which was also contending with a significant funding gap and increasing creditor pressure, these challenges proved too difficult to overcome.”

He added that support would be provided to staff affected by redundancy, including help with claims to the redundancy payments service.

#AberavonShoppingCentre #administration #Bodycare #Interpath #retail #storeClosure

Poundland stores in Swansea and Ammanford to close amid national restructure

Two Poundland stores in South West Wales are closing their doors as part of a major shake-up of the discount chain’s UK operations.

The Swansea Morfa Shopping Park branch will close today (Friday 18 July), while the Ammanford store on Carregamman Road is set to shut on Saturday 10 August. Both closures form part of a wider plan to reduce Poundland’s footprint from around 800 stores to between 650 and 700, following a turbulent year for the retailer.

The company’s new owners, Gordon Brothers, acquired Poundland for £1 in June, prompting a restructuring plan that includes the closure of 68 stores nationwide. The move follows a period of underperformance and rising operational costs, including increased rent, energy bills, and wage contributions.

“It’s sincerely regrettable that this plan includes the closure of stores and distribution centres,” said Poundland managing director Barry Williams. “But it’s necessary if we’re to secure the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores.”

Swansea closure adds to retail churn

The closure of the Morfa Shopping Park store comes after Poundland was unable to agree new lease terms. It’s one of three Swansea branches, and its departure adds to ongoing concerns about retail churn in the city.

Earlier this year, Swansea Bay News reported on the full scope of Poundland’s restructuring plans, including the sale of the business and the list of affected stores: 🔗 Poundland to close 68 stores in restructure plan 🔗 Discount chain Poundland sold for £1

Ammanford store closure follows Wilko acquisition

The Ammanford branch was one of 71 former Wilko stores acquired by Poundland in late 2023. It reopened under the Poundland brand in October and underwent a full makeover earlier this year, offering expanded grocery, clothing, and homeware ranges.

Despite that investment, the store is now among those being shuttered. Poundland says staff were informed “some weeks ago” and are being supported through the transition.

🔗 Poundland to buy 71 Wilko stores including Pembroke Dock and Ammanford

The closures come as high street retailers continue to face pressure from changing consumer habits, inflation, and shifting commercial property dynamics. Poundland says it remains committed to its core offer and will continue to operate a “very sizeable network” across the UK and Ireland.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Poundland to close 68 stores in restructure plan
Published June 2025: Discount chain announces major UK-wide closures as part of recovery strategy under new ownership.

Discount chain Poundland sold for £1
Published June 2025: Poundland sold to Gordon Brothers in rescue deal aimed at stabilising operations and protecting jobs.

Poundland to buy 71 Wilko stores including Pembroke Dock and Ammanford
Published September 2023: Poundland acquires former Wilko sites, including Ammanford, in move to expand retail footprint.

#Ammanford #Business #Poundland #retail #storeClosure #Swansea

I’ve been wandering round our local Paperchase, as it goes through the 40% off stage of its Closing Down sale. A veritable mecca for the stationary needs of Mark in the late 90s and early 2000s. And it’s quite sad to see shelves depleted and stock being cleared.

But (painful though it is to admit it ) as walked around? I couldn’t really find anything I was in actual need of. Not here and now. Not in my day to day life of 2023. Which is equally kind of sad.

#Paperchase #StoreClosure