End of the road for Chorley's The Outlet - with 16 jobs to be lost

One of Chorley's popular fashion and home goods shops will be closing its doors next month.
The Outlet in Chorley is closing down at the end of next month (Photos: Neil Cross).The Outlet in Chorley is closing down at the end of next month (Photos: Neil Cross).
The Outlet in Chorley is closing down at the end of next month (Photos: Neil Cross).

The Outlet in Market Street is set to cease trading by the end of August.

A spokesman for The Outlet confirmed to the Guardian that while the decision hasn’t been taken lightly, it was “right” for the business.

They added that 16 jobs are set to be lost.

16 jobs will be lost.16 jobs will be lost.
16 jobs will be lost.
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A spokesperson for The Outlet said: “We continuously review our entire operation to ensure it is right for our business.

“As a result, we’ve taken the difficult decision to close The Outlet store in Chorley in mid to late August.

“The final day of trading has not yet been confirmed. We anticipate the closure will result in 16 redundancies.

We’re consulting with impacted colleagues on an individual basis and take seriously our responsibilities to them.

Leader of Chorley Council, Coun Alistair Bradley, said the closure was disappointing but not a true reflection on the condition of Chorleys high street.Leader of Chorley Council, Coun Alistair Bradley, said the closure was disappointing but not a true reflection on the condition of Chorleys high street.
Leader of Chorley Council, Coun Alistair Bradley, said the closure was disappointing but not a true reflection on the condition of Chorleys high street.
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“We’ll make sure they’re supported in a sensitive and fair way throughout this process.”

The store is part of the Littlewoods Clearance family, owned by Shop Direct, which also operates Littlewoods Clearance, Very Clearance, and Bargain Crazy.

Leader of Chorley Council, Coun Alistair Bradley, said the closure was “disappointing” but not a true reflection on the condition of Chorley’s high street.

He said: “It’s disappointing to see The Outlet close but this is more down to a strategic decision taken by the business owners rather than a reflection on the Chorley store.

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“We understand it is one of the most successful of their stores in the country but they are closing down the stores when the leases are up.”

Coun Bradley added: “This is symptomatic of the challenges town centres are facing which is why it’s really important we get on with our work to broaden the town centre appeal through building the Market Walk extension and bringing in a different offer.

“The town centre traders told us at the last Town Team a couple of weeks ago that trade is generally going well so we want to keep this momentum up.”

For Chorley residents the closest Outlet store is now in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, with a further six dotted around the country including in North Wales.

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