Struggling high street retailer New Look could move its menswear store back into its larger women's unit if it is forced to close in Burton, a shopping centre boss has said.
David Chadfield, centre manager at the town’s Coopers Square shopping centre, said he hopes New Look will retain its menswear store in the centre despite the chain’s plans to close as many as 60 outlets across the UK.
However, he added that if the fashion retailer chooses to close its menswear unit, he hopes it will relocate back into the larger womenswear store opposite.
It comes as New Look blamed challenging trading conditions for the decision to enter into a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
The menswear store in Burton, which only opened in August 2016 and has around seven members of staff, is among those at risk of closure as well as the Haymarket store in Leicester and the menswear shop in Nottingham. The women's store in Burton, also in Coopers Square shopping centre, is not at risk.
The voluntary arrangement (CVA) deal will buy more time for the business as it tries to improve performance.
A CVA can be used to pay creditors over a fixed period and can help companies to terminate the formal lease. Rent payments are stopped and the landlord can be prevented from taking recovery action. New Look Menswear currently has a 10-year lease for the unit.
Mr Chadfield said: "It opened in August 2016 and has a 10-year lease. It all depends on the CVA (on whether they can leave the lease early).
"We don’t like to see any stores close and we don’t want anyone to lose their jobs but when it is a national chain you have to go with the flow.
"We don’t want it to close but these days it is inevitable. It is a tough time for traders.
"I would like to think if they do close they will move the menswear back into the main shop."
As many as 980 New Look workers across the country are at risk of redundancy, reports The Mirror . However, it said all efforts will be made to redeploy employees. New Look is seeking creditor approval for the plan, due on March 21, 2018.
All UK stores will remain open as normal during the period of the proposal and the company's online sales channel will be completely unaffected.
The announcement comes after sex toys and lingerie shop Ann Summers closed its doors in Coopers Square for good last month, saying it would be concentrating on its larger outlets.
However, clothing retailer H&M is set to move into Coopers Square - next door to Next - in a boost to Burton town centre, it has been confirmed.
