JT Atkinson Announces Closure Of Home & Garden Centre in Penrith.
August 2011
The Penrith branch of JT Atkinson is focussing on its traditional builders’ merchant business and will be reorganising its product offering on its building, plumbing and heating counters, in its bathroom showroom and in its tool hire department.
The local, family-run business currently employs over 150 staff throughout Cumbria and the North East and this development coincides with an expansion being planned to increase its portfolio of branches in the North from eight to thirteen.
Following a two week consultation period, the decision was finally made on 26th July to close the Home & Garden Centre of the JT Atkinson business at Penrith. A steady decline in customers visiting the Home & Garden Centre and increased competition from other retailers, including internet-based businesses, has unfortunately led to the closure. Of the thirteen staff employed within this part of the business, two have transferred across to the Builder’s Merchant operation on the same site, but sadly eleven staff will no longer be required once this department closes, sometime in the autumn.
A huge clearance sale of many of the lines stocked in the Home & Garden Centre commenced on Monday 9thAugust. Once the sale is completed there will be space for rent in the high profile building in Ullswater Road. Marketing of the space will be undertaken by Knight Frank and local agents Penrith Farmers’ & Kidd’s.
