Poundland puts 44 UK stores into temporary hibernation - but Northamptonshire's nine shops stay open

Poundland is placing 44 of its UK stores into temporary hibernation from the Saturday night as a result of the ongoing lockdown restrictions.

But the chain's nine stores in Northamptonshire will remain open.

The budget retailer has said the move is to protect the business in the short-term and reflects the 80 per cent drop in footfall at shopping centres and highstreets across the country.

Poundland is replicating the measures it took during the lockdowns throughout 2020, with 44 of its 800-plus stores temporarily hibernated.

But sites in Northampton at Abington Street, Gold Street, Weston Favell, Riverside and Sixfields; plus two in Kettering and one in each Wellingborough and Corby will remain open.

Poundland is classed as an essential retailer but hibernated around 120 stores during the first 2020 lockdown between March and May.

Hibernation allows the retailer to focus workers in a slightly smaller number of locations and provide a better service to communities in consolidated stores.

It is intended that the move will ensure the retailer is well positioned once the UK emerges from the pandemic.

Austin Cooke, Poundland’s retail director said: “We learned valuable lessons during the lockdown in March about how buying patterns change as people stick to government advice to stay at home.

“Putting a small number of stores into hibernation helps protect them for the long term and focus our attention on the majority of stores that remain open to serve their neighbourhoods.

“We hope this lockdown is short and we can re-open our hibernating stores as quickly as possible and we remain grateful for the vital support schemes available to us that help protect jobs.”

Full list of stores Poundland stores which will enter hibernation and not from Sunday January 10:

Newark, St Marks Place

Grantham, Isaac Newton Centre

Mansfield Four Seasons Shopping Centre

Lowestoft Britten Shopping Centre

Ipswich Sailmakers Shopping Centre

Norwich Castle Mall

Newmarket, The Guineas Shopping Centre

Luton 31 The Mall Shopping Centre

Belfast Castlecourt Shopping Centre NI

Newry Buttercrane Shopping Centre NI

Enniskillen Erneside Shopping Centre NI

Newry Quays Shopping Centre NI

Londonderry Ferryquay Street NI

Inverness High Street

Kirkcaldy Mercat Shopping Centre

Cramlington Manor Walks Shopping Centre

Middlesbrough Captain Cook Square Shopping Centre

Durham Riverwalk Shopping Centre

Beverley Flemingate Shopping Centre

Farnham The Borough

Fareham Market Quay

Fareham Whiteley Shopping Centre

Crewe Market Street

Kingston upon Thames Eden Walk

Harlow Harvey Shopping Centre

Colchester Culver Street

Ayr High Street

Workington Campbell-Savours Way

Carlisle Scotch Street

Dumfries, Loreburne Shopping Centre

Glasgow Union Street

Falkirk Howgate Shopping Centre

Edinburgh Princes Street

Perth St Johns Shopping Centre

Cardiff 121 Queens Street

Bridgwater Angel Place Shopping Centre

Burnley 82 Charter Walk Shopping Centre

Preston Fishergate Centre

Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre

Chester Frodsham Street

Bootle Strand Shopping Centre

Solihull High Street

Newcastle under Lyme Castle Walk

Merry Hill Shopping Centre