Yesterday (22 February) The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, based in Langholm in Scotland, has announced that it has stepped in to save 6,000 retail jobs after agreeing to buy the troubled clothing chain Peacocks for an unclosed sum. Administrator KPMG has confirmed with Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert that both of the stores in Caerphilly and Bargoed town centres will not be closed and that the distribution centre at Nantgarw off the A470 is not likely to be affected.
Jeff Cuthbert AM said:
‘This is absolutely brilliant news and a huge relief for residents, those employed in the two shops and distribution centre and the local economy. Closures or job losses would have really hit families in Caerphilly area hard and affected the great work that has already gone into the Bargoed town centre Regeneration project.
‘However my heart goes out to other areas and employees which weren’t so fortunate. There will still be 224 stores closing and 3,100 job losses which is devastating for an already floundering economy, which the Tory-Liberal coalition are doing their best to wreck the recovery of.
