Rugby's Poundland soldiers on as company temporarily shuts 44 of its other stores

A stock image - because the Advertiser walking into Rugby Central to take a picture would not count as an 'essential trip'.

Rugbeians who prefer their groceries and household goods to cost a round figure will be relieved to learn that our town's Rugby Central branch of Poundland will remain open through the lockdown.

The news comes as Poundland said it is placing 44 of its UK stores into temporary hibernation from the end of trading on Saturday (January 9) as a result of the ongoing lockdown restrictions.

The budget retailer 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 high streets across the country.

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

As an essential retailer, the vast majority of its stores will remain open to serve customers in their communities.

In the first 2020 lockdown last March, Poundland hibernated around 120 stores and was able to start reopening them from the end of 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

The following Poundland stores will enter hibernation 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