Poundland to close one of its two Omagh stores

High street chain Poundland has confirmed the closure of its store at the Main Street Shopping Complex in Omagh.

The Omagh shop is one of 68 Poundland stores the company has announced will close across the North, as well as in England, Wales and Scotland.

A spokesperson for Poundland said staff at the store were ‘briefed’ in June about the plans to close the store and that the company could not provide a date when the store will be shut.

Last month, Pepco Group Poundland‘s former owners sold the discount chain for £1 following a significant downturn in trading in recent years.

Poundland also announced it is seeking court approval for a restructuring plan to close 68 shops and secure rent reductions on several more.

It is understood that approximately 1,000 shop workers will be impacted by the restructuring. The retailer has also indicated that it will close dozens more of its UK shops in the coming years under new ownership. The company anticipates having between 650 and 700 stores across the UK and Ireland following the restructuring.

Poundland confirmed to the Ulster Herald that there were ‘no plans’ to close the company’s other store in Omagh, located at the Showground Retail Park.

Other stores in Northern Ireland that have been announced to close include stores in Belfast and Newtownabbey, with more closures to be announced soon.

Retail director Darren MacDonald said: “It is, of course, sincerely regrettable that our recovery plans include any store closures, but sadly that’s necessary if we’re to achieve our goal of securing the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores. While our anticipated network of around 650-700 stores remains a sizeable one, we entirely understand how disappointing it will be for customers when one nearby closes.

“Nevertheless, we look forward to continuing to welcome them to a nearby Poundland. It goes without saying that we will work closely with colleagues through a formal consultation process in stores scheduled to close, exploring any suitable alternative roles. That work is underway.”