Boyes staff face uncertain future as store set to close

Bosses at Boyes have been given notice to vacate its current premises in the Lindsey Centre to make way for the development of the site into a Lidl supermarket.

The current premises must be vacated by Tuesday, November 8 – with Boyes set to close on Saturday, October 29.

Robert van der Heijden, marketing director, said: “It was hoped this might be ready to move straight into but unfortunately it will not be ready for occupation until several months after the date to vacate.

“So it is with huge regret that Boyes is having to give staff notice of redudancy, but with the promise of being re-engaged on the same terms and conditions.”

A new store is being built for discount homeware retailer Boyes on the former Crown House site on Heaton Street, Gainsborough.

Mr van der Heijden said: “Boyes is committed to trading in Gainsborough and will be investing heavily in the new premises.

“We very much regret that there will be a few months when we will not be trading in the town and apologise for the inconvenience this will cause customers.

“In the meantime, there will be some great closing down reductions and the prospect of a new Boyes store to look forward to.”

Town businessman Trevor Halstead, of Gainsborough Cycles, Ropery Road, said: “It’s bad for the town and bad for the business.

“My thoughts are it is bad management and this shouldn’t have happened.

“The new store should have been built first and then they could move straight in.

“That way, jobs would have been secure and trade in the town would have been more stable.

“It is bad planning to close a store of that capacity and that size for that period of time.

“It is a big blow to the town, as it is an extremely popular store.

“It is bad for the workers and it is not good all round.”

Boyes is moving to make way for a new Lidl store to replace the current Lidl supermarket on Ropery Road.

The supermarket will boast state-of-the-art facilities, including glass-fronted design, wide aisles, long tills, restroom and babychanging facilities, 130 parking spaces and a 179 sq metres welfare area for employees.

It will also create 15 new jobs for the town, as well as safeguarding the existing jobs at the current supermarket.

Lidl has operated in Ropery Road for more than 20 years, but says the store is no longer fit for purpose.