Peacocks clothing stores to close across east London
Peacocks in the Mercury Mall, Romford. Picture: The Mercury Mall - Credit: The Mercury Mall
Peacocks stores in Barking, Dagenham, Hornchurch, Romford, Stepney, Stratford and Upton Park are set to close.
It and fashion retailer Jaeger are owned by the Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group (EWM) which has announced it is planning to appoint administrators – putting 21,000 jobs at risk.
EWM head office have no given any closing dates for any stores as of yet.
The harsh trading conditions caused by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and a recent reduction in its credit insurance have been blamed for the company’s troubles.
The company added that it has been hit hard by allegations, which it denies, that the retailer and several rivals failed to pay some Bangladeshi suppliers during lockdown in an attempt to cut costs for clothes they were unlikely to sell.
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EWM chief executive Steve Simpson said: “Like every retailer, we have found the past seven months extremely difficult.
“This situation has grown worse in recent weeks as we have had to deal with a series of false rumours about our payments and trading which have impacted our credit insurance.
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“Traditionally, EWM has always traded with strong cash reserves and a conservative balance sheet, but these stories, the reduction in credit insurance, against the backdrop of the lockdown and now this second wave of Covid-19, and all the local lockdowns, have made normal trading impossible.
“As directors we have a duty to the business, our staff, our customers and our creditors to find the very best solution in this brutal environment.
“Through this process I hope and believe we will be able to secure the best future for our businesses, but there will inevitably be significant cuts and closures as we work our way through this.
“I would like to thank all our staff for their amazing efforts during this time and also our customers who have remained so loyal and committed to our brands.”
