Published at 09:47, Monday, 01 October 2012

Hoopers is to reopen its Carlisle store as a city centre fashion venue and restaurant.

Anne Horton outside Hoopers

The company’s managing director Anne Horton confirmed the sale of the Castle Street premises to Edinburgh Woollen Mill has collapsed, the store is now up again for offers and there will be job losses.

Hoopers staff were informed of the developments at a recent meeting.

Although they had suspected all may not have been well with the planned sale to the Edinburgh Woollen Mill group, they had been hoping for an imminent end to continuing delays - and job security with new owners.

Ms Horton said: “It is with much regret that I have to confirm that the sale of the Hoopers store to the Edinburgh Woollen Mill (Group) Ltd has not gone to completion, despite every best effort by the Hoopers’ board.

“The store is therefore now back on the market. However, after due consideration, the board has decided that pending the sale of the premises, the company will continue trading in the store but on the basis of a reduced and very different format. The restaurant will resume trading on its previous basis but the ground floor of the store will be used to trade as a discount operation.”

She added: “The store will be offering a host of fashion brands from our other four stores as well as menswear, accessories and homewares.”

When Hoopers announced it was to close its Carlisle operation in the early summer, Cumbrian businessman Philip Day, Edinburgh Woollen Mill’s chairman, said he was submitting a serious offer to buy the premises, in the interests of protecting and furthering retail in the city centre.

But negotiations have proved less than straightforward and with no sale looking immediately likely, consultations with staff on redundancies have opened.

“I’m afraid there will be some redundancies,” said Ms Horton. “The number depends on what staff we will need for the reduced operation. Consultations are now underway.”

She anticipated making an announcement on the reopening date within the next couple of weeks.

David Read, marketing operations controller for EWM, said the company was still working to secure its purchase of Hoopers.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk