A staple retailer for many parents in the north and north-east for decades has disappeared from the high street.
The last remaining branches of collapsed baby goods retailer Mothercare closed their doors for the final time last night.
The shop has been a feature of high streets, shopping centres and retail parks since 1961 and for many years was the place to go for all a family’s pushchair, pram, clothing and toy needs.
Many first-time parents also relied on the retailer’s expectant parent events, where questions about parenting could be asked and discount vouchers were handed-out to help alleviate the costs of a new child.
It all added up to ensure yesterday’s closures were bittersweet for the many bargain hunters who made one final visit.
The Mothercare brand plunged into administration last year after years of struggling to compete with online retailers.
Its Inverness branch shut its doors last week while the Aberdeen branch remained opened until yesterday.
The latter was one of 79 remaining stores across the UK to close yesterday, with 2,500 jobs across the UK being lost as a result.
In May 2018, Mothercare bosses secured a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) restructuring deal which it said would lead to the closure of just 50 stores and affect 800 jobs.
But after a struggle to keep up with rent and cheaper competitors, the parent business announced in November 2019 it would file a notice to appoint administrators as it could no longer “satisfy the cash needs” to keep it afloat.
Since the start of December, Mothercare has slashed prices on products with special offers including a baby Stroller selling at £69.99, down from £334.95, and an antique-style wardrobe initially sold for £270 dropping by 70% to just £81.00.
The Aberdeen store hosted an “everything must go” closing down event in November, with items selling out quickly.
According to store management, stock levels were high as warehouses were cleared.
Fellow retailer Debenhams will close 19 of its 160 stores across the UK over the next week, with 660 job losses expected.
The struggling clothing department store entered administration in April 2019 as it sought to reduce its debt and start a major restructuring process.
Further branches are expected to shut down in 2021 though details of the locations and when exactly this will happen have not been disclosed.
