BrightHouse to close as part of cost-cutting

The Bright House store in the Arndale Centre is due to close in March.

BrightHouse said it has announced plans to close 28 of its 311 stores across the UK, including Morecambe, as part of a business-wide cost reduction programme, aligned to a new business strategy.

The spokesman for BrightHouse said: “The strategy is based on offering customers more choice, great flexibility and better service.

“Plans include simplifying processes, launching online sales and enabling colleagues to spend more time with our customers by reducing administrative tasks, all underpinned by a reduction in costs of 10% across the business.

“As discussions will be ongoing it won’t be possible to say at the moment how many jobs are affected.”

Chief Executive Hamish Paton said: “These were very difficult decisions and they were not taken lightly. We have spoken to all those colleagues affected and they are being supported to find an alternative role within the business or elsewhere. Customers will be kept informed and automatically transferred to another nearby store.

“We have to do different things in different ways.”

Arndale Centre manager Sarah Harrison said: “There has been lots going on behind the scenes at the centre. We are currently in the process of a phased window replacement.

“Phase one was completed last year and phase two is currently under way to the rear of property located in the Market Street service yard. Argos is scheduled to close on February 21 and Brighthouse on March 11.”