Good news for jobs-threat 'offie' staff (From Worcester News)

Good news for jobs-threat 'offie' staff

8:50pm Saturday 19th December 2009

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OFF licences have been closing down across Worcestershire following the collapse of First Quench Retailing Ltd.

The recent closures have seen workers at the company’s stores, better known as Threshers, Wine Rack, The Local, Victoria Wines, Bottoms Up and Haddows, face a bleak Christmas.

However, there was joy for staff at two Malvern stores who heard they would be spared the axe.

First Quench Retailing went into administration six weeks ago and since then two The Locals in Ombersley Street West, Droitwich, and Victoria Square, Droitwich have closed along with two Threshers, on Worcester Road, Malvern and High Street, Stourport-upton-Severn.

Also shut are Wine Rack, High Street, Pershore, and The Local, The Tything, Worcester.

Five more The Locals, including one in Monarch Drive, Worcester, one in Evesham, two in Bromsgrove and one in Redditch are set to close in the county this month.

However, Elizabeth Witterick, manager at Wine Rack, Barnards Green, Malvern, said her store and Threshers in Newtown Road, Malvern, had been bought by Dave’s Discount Stores Ltd.

She said: “They’ve kept all the staff which is a relief.

“We honestly thought it was the end.

“It’s been horrible but still we are on the up now.

“We are so happy.”

The reprieve came on Thursday, November 26 - hours before it was announced that 391 stores would close resulting in 2,140 redundancies.

The news came on top of two previous announcements that 664 stores would close - resulting in 3,646 redundancies - since First Quench Retailing went into administration at the end of October.

Richard Fleming, KPMG’s UK head of restructuring and joint administrator, said: “Unfortunately, despite the initial high level of interest, it remains difficult for buyers to complete deals in the current tough market.

“However, we are still in talks regarding the sale of over 100 stores."

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