Preston Poundland announces u-turn on plans to close Deepdale Retail Park store

Poundland previously announced it would close the branch at the retail park in Blackpool Road on Saturday, July 5.

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It said it was unable to agree lease terms with the landlord, forcing the discount variety store to cease trading this coming weekend.

But Poundland has now confirmed the Deepdale store will remain open, after it agreed more favourable terms with the property owner.

A spokesman for Poundland told the Post: “Just to tell you that we’ve agreed ongoing terms so the Poundland store at Deepdale is not closing.”

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Poundland added there are no plans to close its second Preston branch at Fishergate Shopping Centre.

Poundland plans to shut 68 shops and two warehouses

More than 1,300 jobs were put at risk at Poundland after the retailer announced plans to shut 68 shops and two of its UK warehouses following its takeover by investment firm Gordon Brothers in June.

Pepco Group sold the discount chain for £1 after it had been hit by a sharp downturn in trading in recent years. Its new owners said they were seeking court approval for a restructuring plan to shut 68 shops and secure rent reductions on dozens more.

It is understood that around 1,000 shop workers are set to be affected by the restructuring.

The discount chain, known for primarily selling products for £1, also indicated it will shut dozens more of its UK shops in the coming years under the new ownership.

The retailer said it expects to end up with between 650 and 700 stores across the UK and Ireland after the overhaul.

It currently runs around 800 stores but stressed Irish shops have not been affected by the restructuring plan.

Poundland said it also plans to close its frozen and digital distribution site at Darton, South Yorkshire, later this year and another warehouse at Springvale in Bilston, West Midlands, in early 2026.

Around 350 people will be affected by the warehouse closures.

It will also stop selling frozen food at stores where it’s currently offered and reduce its chilled food offer in the future.

The warehouse closures are also linked to Poundland’s plan to stop online sales through its Poundland.co.uk website.

Bosses said they expect the court proceedings for the restructuring to conclude in late summer.

Barry Williams, managing director of Poundland, said: “It’s no secret that we have much work to do to get Poundland back on track.

“While Poundland remains a strong brand, serving 20 million-plus shoppers each year, our performance for a significant period has fallen short of our high standards and action is needed to enable the business to return to growth.

“It’s sincerely regrettable that this plan includes the closure of stores and distribution centres, but it’s necessary if we’re to achieve our goal of securing the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores.

“It goes without saying that if our plans are approved, we will do all we can to support colleagues who will be directly affected by the changes.”

In May, Poundland reported revenues dropped by 6.5% to 985 million euros (£830 million) for the six months to March, compared with a year earlier.

The brand suffered “challenges across all categories” and had 18 net store closures over the period.