Bromsgrove's Blockbusters branch closes its doors (From Bromsgrove Advertiser)

Bromsgrove's Blockbusters branch closes its doors

4:00pm Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News By Sam Greenway

BROMSGROVE has lost another major retailer after the closure of Blockbusters at the weekend.

The closure of the Bromsgrove branch of the DVD rental firm, on the junction of Worcester Road, Market Place and High Street, had been speculated about after the firm went into administration in January.

Staff were only given 24 hours notice that the store was to close last Saturday evening, (March 16).

The nine employees who worked at the branch are now facing redundancy, and a dedicated helpline for employees across the stores is running to help them find other jobs.

Uncertainly had already surrounded the long term future of the Bromsgrove branch of the film rental giant, as it had a short term lease with Bromsgrove District Council for the ground floor of George House.

Within weeks, a planning application is expected to be submitted for the transformation of the former Market Hall site. Under these ambitious plans George House would be demolished and replaced by retail units.

The council had said it hoped to work with the company on possible relocation options.

Deloitte, which is handling the administration, said the firm’s collapse was driven by competition from internet firms and digital streaming of movies and games.

Lee Manning, joint administrator, said: “We have continued to review the performance of individual stores since our appointment and have concluded that further closures are necessary in order to restructure the company for sale.

“We would like to thank the employees for their support and professionalism during this difficult time and we are also grateful for the continued support of customers.”