Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis to close stores in Portsmouth, Gosport, Fareham and Waterlooville

A FURTHER blow has hit the high street as Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton stores will be closing under their new owner Boohoo.
Burton in Gosport High Street
Picture: Sarah Standing (080221-2526)Burton in Gosport High Street
Picture: Sarah Standing (080221-2526)
Burton in Gosport High Street Picture: Sarah Standing (080221-2526)

Around 2,450 staff were told today that their jobs have been axed after clothes website Boohoo bought the stores from Arcadia for £25.2m.

The news follows last week’s Asos takeover of Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge - a deal which will also see high street stores close.

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Boohoo has bought the inventory, e-commerce and digital assets of the businesses, which were owned by Sir Philip Green’s retail empire when it entered administration in December.

Dorothy Perkins in Fareham Shopping Centre in December 2020 Dorothy Perkins in Fareham Shopping Centre in December 2020
Dorothy Perkins in Fareham Shopping Centre in December 2020

But it does not include the brands’ 214 remaining shops, which will close, according to administrators from Deloitte.

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Menswear shop Burton has a large presence on Commercial Road, Portsmouth, and has been part of the high street for at least 27 years.

It also had a prominent presence in High Street, Gosport.

Burton, Commercial Road, Portsmouth in November 2020 

Picture: Habibur RahmanBurton, Commercial Road, Portsmouth in November 2020 

Picture: Habibur Rahman
Burton, Commercial Road, Portsmouth in November 2020 Picture: Habibur Rahman

Gosport’s council leader Mark Hook said: ‘It is a blow for the town centre, and for town centres across the country.

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‘It shows the power of online shopping. The public have chosen the methods they prefer, and online shopping is convenient, to the detriment of the high street.

‘It is important now to re-evaluate the high street and find alternatives to the traditional retail offer, such as coffee shops, barbers, nails bars.

‘The high street will be a place for that type of industry - and for retail that offers a unique service that’s not found online.’

Dorothy Perkins had stores in Portsmouth’s Cascades Shopping Centre, Fareham Shopping Centre and in London Road, Waterlooville.

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The store in Cascades had been part of Portsmouth’s shopping scene for more than 20 years.

Its Gosport High Street store closed in June 2019.

The chain also had Dorothy Perkins, Burton and Wallis concession stores in Debenhams in Commercial Road, which closed in December, and in Palmerston Road, Southsea, which closed in January 2020.

Ross McNally, Hampshire Chamber chief executive and executive chairman, said: ‘This is a further blow to the high street with yet more job losses in bricks and mortar retail stores, but at least these three important brands are being maintained.

‘Retail remains important to town centres but it is changing. More specialisms, different services and experiences, and leisure pursuits will all increasingly provide the reasons to visit our towns and cities. Innovation is at the heart of this change.’

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Last month Boohoo also bought Debenhams’ brand and website for £55m – but it did not take on the company’s 118 stores.

Boohoo chief executive John Lyttle said the brands would now live on online.

He said: ‘We are delighted to announce the acquisition of the assets associated with the online businesses of the three established brands Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis.

‘Acquiring these well-known brands in British fashion out of administration ensures their heritage is sustained, while our investment aims to transform them into brands that are fit for the current market environment.

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‘We have a successful track record of integrating British heritage fashion brands on to our proven multi-brand platform, and we are looking forward to bringing these brands on board.’

Boohoo chairman Mahmud Kamani added: ‘This is a great acquisition for the group as we extend our market share across a broader demographic, capitalising on growth opportunities as more and more customers shop online.

‘We continue to grow our portfolio of brands and customer base, strengthening our position as a leader in global fashion e-commerce.’

Around 260 jobs, mainly head office roles, will be saved as they move with the brands to Boohoo.

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Arcadia was long one of the biggest players on the UK high street, but the Covid-19 pandemic dealt a final blow to the business, which had struggled with a shift in shopping behaviour in recent years.

In December it entered administration, putting thousands of jobs on the line.

While the business’s demise has been partly brought about by a shift to online retail, its brands will now continue to live online, after several deals.

Administrators have now sold all of Arcadia’s brands, raising around £500m to pay off creditors. There is still some property in the portfolio left to sell.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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