Kettering's Dorothy Perkins is closing down

Kettering's Dorothy Perkins in the Newlands Centre is closing down.

A sign in the shop's window says there is up to 50 per cent off in the closing down sale and everything must go.

It is a blow to Kettering's town centre, which has lost a number of big high street brands in recent years, including New Look, Marks and Spencers and Topshop.

The Dorothy Perkins brand is owned by Sir Philip Green's Arcadia group. In March, industry news website the Retail Gazette reported that Arcadia was planning to terminate leases with rolling break clauses, which allows a termination at any point.

Arcadia declined to comment and it was not confirmed how many shops or which of Arcadia's brands, which include Dorothy Perkins, Topshop, Burton, Evans, Miss Selfridge and Wallis, would be affected.

Similarly, in April the Financial Times reported that Arcadia was planning to close a number of UK shops due to the difficult trading conditions caused by coronavirus but a spokesman for Arcadia told the FT that no decisions had been made.

Arcadia has been in financial difficulty recently. The Retail Gazette reported that Arcadia allegedly borrowed up to £50m against its Northamptonshire distribution centre in Daventry.

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