Closing Down M&Co and Peacocks

Closing Down
Going into town today people will have noticed that two major clothing shops in Abingdon have closing down sales. M&Co announced in August that they were shutting 47 stores. M&Co will be closing their Abingdon, Market Place, store in about four weeks time.
Closing Down
The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, which includes Peacocks, called in the administrator yesterday. The Abingdon shop now has Closing Down Sale signs.

Both retailers have found the past seven months very difficult. They had to shut their stores in March due to the pandemic. M&Co reopened in June, and Peacocks in August – later than most shops.

23 thoughts on “Closing Down M&Co and Peacocks

  1. Hester

    How sad, especially since I suspect that the people who make most use of both are those who don’t shop online and probably prefer not to go to Oxford.

    Reply
  2. Chris John

    Closing and boarded up shops and pubs is the sign of things to come for many years. The Covid and Brexit effect will see to that. We have many many hard years ahead I’m afraid

    Reply
    1. Daniel

      I think shops that are closing down were likely going to do so anyway. Covid has just about the inevitable, but sooner.

      On the whole, with Abingdon (and many other dormitory towns) have had an uplift in footfall and I can foresee a brighter horizon for it. I’ve certainly used the town far more in the past few months than I ever have…and I’m not the only one.

      As for Brexit…nah…is that even still a thing?

      Reply
        1. Peter

          In the other 27 EU countries there are no shop closures?

          Same in the 167 countries which aren’t in the EU – all tickety boo?

          Only the UK has store closures, and these are a direct result of Brexit and nothing else.

          Hmmm.

          Reply
          1. Chris John

            Despite what you may think Brexit will start to effect us on 31st January, that’s when the real damage will start!

      1. Mark

        I’m not so sure you’re right about that.
        The EWM group was one of the retail groups that had bucked the trend of the high street prior to Covid.

        Reply
  3. DavidofRugby

    cannot speak for all other countries, obviously, but i often go to France and Belgium, and one thing we commented on during our last (pre-covid) trip was how rarely we saw empty high street shops. The contrast with England was so stark that we noticed it immediately.

    Reply
    1. Daniel

      …if you go to Summertown, Witney, New Malden, Raynes Park, Camden Town, Padstow….one thing I commented on when I was last in these places was how rarely we saw any empty high street shops.

      I have been to Marseille and also Almunecar; and saw some very run down places.

      Reply
  4. Steve

    Brexit will have a huge effect , even those supporting it said there will be a 9% reduction in GDP, so to say otherwise is wrong. It’s going to have a negative effect for about 20 years I’m afraid. So even those who say no it’s not, all will be better. I’m afriad this is the price for this so called freedom.

    Reply
    1. Daniel

      hang on a second…it doesn’t matter if one is or isn’t for or against Bexit…but in the comments above it says that (and I embelish for poetic effect) that:

      Brexiters speak tosh and bunkam
      and
      even Brexiters said there will be 9% reduction in GDP so it MUST be true…(and they are right this time but only because they agree with me).

      which is it!?

      I get so confused. Is everything that a brexiter say tosh and bunkham? Or is it only the stuff i disagree with that brexiters say is tosh and bunkam?

      Reply
    2. Peter

      The fact is nobody knows what the effect on GDP will be, otherwise there’d be no bookmakers still in business.

      Any analysis is an inspired guess. Sure – there will be lots of nice graphs, trend analysis, some economics sprinkled on top, but as this year has shown, it can all fall apart in a matter of days.

      The EU faces multiple existential crises, political, fiscal and military. To assume they’re somehow the strong party in this deal is, at best, optimistic. Look at the fuss they’re making over some fish.

      Reply
  5. Kelly Simpson

    Travelling in Italy last year we saw hundreds of closed down shops in towns, once you get away from the ‘posh’ touristy areas.
    And surely, it will be hard to assess any economic problems as to whether they are caused by Brexit or Covid.

    Reply
      1. Steven

        The owners emailed their customer distribution list this morning: lease is ending, plus not enough footfall in the downstairs card/ gift section. Gallery upstairs has been doing OK though.

        Reply
      2. Hester

        It’s been on the cards (sorry, no pun intended) for ages – I saw a planning application many many months ago for a change of use for the unit. Such a shame as they had by far the best selection of cards in town.

        Reply

Leave a Reply to Daniel Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.