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Jobs fear as Littlewoods sells stores
From the Bolton Evening News, first published Tuesday 12th Jul 2005.
STAFF at Littlewoods are anxiously awaiting news about their future after the firm was bought by the owner of rival store Primark.
More than 70 staff at Littlewoods in the Market Place in Bolton and at the Mill Gate Shopping Centre in Bury will be affected .
Littlewoods - which has already sold its Index catalogue shops to Argos - has been bought by Associated British Foods (ABF), owner of Primark, for £409 million.
In all, 120 stores have been bought, with 40 to be rebranded in an expansion of Primark's fashion retail business. ABF intends to sell the remaining 80.
ABF, which also owns Twinings tea and Silver Spoon sugar, said the deal with Littlewoods was a "unique" chance to buy a number of large stores in prime High Street locations.
Chief executive George Weston said: "Primark has a lot of gaps where it doesn't trade, and this deal allows us to fill a lot of those gaps.
"It will bring Primark to many towns and cities where it is currently not present."
The company already has a large Primark store in Bolton town centre, but no store in Bury. However, the firm said it hoped to find jobs in Primark for many of the 2,500 Littlewoods staff.
Officials from retail union Usdaw, which represents Littlewoods staff, have requested a meeting this week with senior Primark management.
Usdaw National Officer John Gorle said: "We welcome this sale as it finally clears up the damaging uncertainty for our members about the future of these stores.
"The vast majority of our members are long-serving and loyal employees and we will be urging Primark to do everything they can to retain that pool of highly skilled workers."
Liverpool-based Littlewoods will now concentrate on its catalogue and online businesses.
David Simons, chairman of Littlewoods Shop Direct Group, said: "Our stores business has less than a one per cent market share and it could never be as dominant as our home shopping business."
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