Lockdown Pushes Gap Online As Clothing Retailer Announces Closure of All of Its British Stores
Following 15 months of draconian lockdown restrictions, Gap has announced the closure of all its 81 stores in the U.K. and Ireland, with an estimated loss of over 1,000 jobs. The U.S. clothing retailer is also considering reducing store numbers in both France and Italy and blames “market dynamics” for massive losses last year. MailOnline has the story.
Phased closures will start in August and continue through to September, the U.S. chain revealed.
It comes after a year of coronavirus lockdowns battering the U.K. high street, with other popular chains including TopShop going under. …
[Gap said in a statement]: “In the United Kingdom and Europe, we are going to maintain our Gap online business.
“The e-commerce business continues to grow and we want to meet our customers where they are shopping. We’re becoming a digital-first business and we’re looking for a partner to help drive our online business.
“However, due to market dynamics in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, we shared with our team today that we are proposing to close all company-operated Gap Specialty and Gap Outlet stores in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland in a phased manner from the end of August through the end of September 2021.
“We are thoughtfully moving through the consultation process with our European team, and we will provide support and transition assistance for our colleagues as we look to wind down stores.” …
For the year from February 1st, 2020, Gap’s U.K. retail sales fell by 9.5% to £195.1 million. Its operating losses were at £40.7 million. …
Founded in 1969 and headquartered in San Francisco, the firm has struggled in recent years and like most retailers saw store footfall slump during the pandemic. …
It comes just months after high street giant Debenhams confirmed the last of its stores would close for the final time.
The department store launched a post-lockdown fire sale before the chain shuttered its stores, marking the end of a 242-year presence in Britain’s towns and cities.
The outlook for Britain’s high street is dire. More than 11,000 outlets permanently closed in 2020 and the Local Data Company expects that this will be followed by 18,000 more closures in 2021.
The MailOnline report is worth reading in full.
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Yes it’s a continuing win for Amazon Prime… and the WEF B3 globalist agenda of crushing local community SMEs.
Here’s what being a human automaton is like working for dear ole Jeff:
https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/news-opinion/amazon-worker-describes-warehouse-job-5589687
Which allows him to own/operate this:
https://www.imperial-yachts.com/charter/superyachts-for-charter/flying-fox
How far does the BBC have to sink before Johnson stirs himself?
By
Michael St George
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/how-far-does-the-bbc-have-to-sink-before-johnson-stirs-himself/
Stand in South Hill Park Bracknell every Sunday 10am meet fellow lockdown sceptics, keep yourself sane, make new friends and have a laugh.
Join our Stand in the Park – Bracknell – Telegram Group
http://t.me/astandintheparkbracknell
As the man said “You ain’t seen nothing yet”. The destruction of SME businesses in retail, hospitality and several other areas has barely started. Quite apart from the scorched earth policies on commerce and business of all kinds, the massive damage done to society and the resulting changes will also reflect in our journey “down the pan”.
And soon the prices for deliveries will rise…
“Market dynamics” What mealy-mouthed crap. Government imposed lockdowns. That’s NOT the market. Even in closing down these business refuse to risk looking heartless in the eyes of the mad public by naming the real culprits.
And why is the Mail reporting that “Boris is ‘pushing for” the removal of masks they all know don’t work? Toad is Dictator. He can simply decide.
Unfortunately, being the weak-kneed, pliable adulterous liar that he is, the only decisions he makes are on his choices of Ugandan Discussions (pace Private Eye). Any others in which he’s poked his grubby hands e.g. NI Protocol, have turned out rather poorly.
On and on it rolls. Johnson and accomplices are working well for their masters.
Mind the Gap
Between Democracy and…
now
Market dynamics? No, this is the result of communism, lockdown is communist.
Soon there will be one non-food shop, the online retailer known as SHOP (formerly Amazon), and food will be delivered to your door, according to your assessed needs, by your local FOOD agency.
You will own nothing, and you will be happy.
Anyone who is not happy is encouraged to report to your nearest railway station where straw-lined transportation will be made available to you. For your safety and comfort please remove all jewelry and gold teeth before travel.
Your cooperation is appreciated.
The removal of GAP from the high street results in more gaps in the high street than ever!
This is where out of control ‘scientists’, corporate behemoths and globalist politicians get you…
Is the bulk of the population really going to just sit idly by, whilst all around them there is carnage underway? Really?
Yes they will sit idly by
When the gas, electricity, water and internet are turned off they may wake up but I wouldn’t count on it
Equally when there is no food I doubt if they will raise a finger, they will just slink off to die where they are told
If it saves just one life…
This current nonsense hasn’t helped but GAP has been losing market share for a long time. Anyone who works in that field knows that by its very nature fashion is a very fickle business. Things can change in both directions very quickly and just like the hospitality field, being in the middle market you are always the most vulnerable to changing conditions.
Boo Hoo
Shopping in store is meant to be an ‘experience’. That’s true enough at present except it is very unenjoyable being served by someone in a gimp mask and made to feel guilty just for being there. Why would you go!
It has got slightly better- at least now we can try on clothes in some stores, but there may be quite a wait for a changing room as they have closed off every second one so there is no risk of you catching Covid from the person in the next changing room to you. Never mind that they’re separated by a wall or a curtain from you, the danger is still too great to have you that close to each other.
A non story. GAP lost the plot years ago and failed to move with the times. Not doing well in North America either. It won’t be missed.
If it were just GAP, I would agree, But it is loads of shops and businesses over a very short time period – a very different level of casualty.
The people who worked there might miss it, or miss their jobs. Not every shop deserves to survive, and I personally feel there is a place for both online and in-person shopping, but it’s undeniable that in-person shopping has been artificially handicapped. I have not been in a shop since masks were introduced and will probably never go back, unless I move somewhere with some sceptical shopowners.
Like lots of things about lockdown, it feels like changes that were going to come anyway (but over a longer timescale) have been accelerated. People probably won’t notice until M&S starts closing its clothing stores. Perhaps this winter?
Another triumph for the Fascists.
How far does the BBC have to sink before Johnson stirs himself?
By
Michael St George
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/how-far-does-the-bbc-have-to-sink-before-johnson-stirs-himself/
Stand in South Hill Park Bracknell every Sunday 10am meet fellow lockdown sceptics, keep yourself sane, make new friends and have a laugh.
Join our Stand in the Park – Bracknell – Telegram Group
http://t.me/astandintheparkbracknell
Blames “market dynamics”?? Oh, come on! If a big company like Gap doesn’t blame the government, as it should, for forcing its stores shut then what hope do we have?
Closing their shops in a ‘phased manner’ in ONE month. Is phased closure over 30 days supposed to sound caring? Or just the speed at which their boarding-up crew can drive their Transit around the country?
Good luck Gap employees.