DVD rental firm Blockbuster’s store in Worthing has been spared the axe among administrator’s latest round of store closures.
Despite branches in Shoreham, Bognor Regis and Chichester being affected, its site in Chapel Road has not been named among
has not been named among the 164 outlets that administrators have confirmed are due to shut.
With hundreds of staff affected by the closures, the company has set up a dedicated employee helpline is in place and a programme to help those staff facing redundancy find other jobs.
The business has faced increasing competition from internet firms, with concerns noted over the fact it had appeared to be slow to launch its own website-based rental system. It was confirmed last month that its Shoreham store was among the first wave of closures affecting the company.
Its closing stores will remain open for business as usual and customers will be notified in advance of closure so that they can return their outstanding rental items beforehand. The standard rental terms and conditions remain in place during this time.
Lee Manning, Joint Administrator, said: “We have continued to review the performance of individual stores since our appointment a month ago and have concluded that further closures are necessary in order to restructure the Company for sale. We would like to thank the Company’s employees for their support and professionalism during this difficult time and we are also grateful for the continued support of customers. We are in discussions with a number of parties interested in purchasing all or parts of the business and will update on progress in due course.”
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