Employees at Wickes in Inverness have been left fearing for their jobs as moves are made to close the store.
The hardware brand said it is considering the “potential closure” of the Henderson Road site, with the lease due to run out soon.
A ‘to let’ sign is also currently being displayed on the outside wall of the building, with all sales enquiries to be directed to Savills estate agent.
Wickes confirmed today that it is currently consulting with colleagues – a period which they acknowledge is “difficult”.
It is currently unknown how many staff are affected.
A Wickes spokesperson said: “Wickes is currently consulting with colleagues who work at the Inverness store to talk about the potential closure of the store, as it comes to the end of its lease.
“We understand that this may be a difficult time and are supporting colleagues during this consultation period, including the option to explore opportunities for redeployment in new roles wherever possible.”
Redeployment may prove difficult for Inverness Wickes staff
The news comes as work goes ahead to construct a new £10 million store in Aberdeen.
Planning permission was granted and work began in September 2023 to open at a three-acre site at Westhill’s Kingshill Park.
A 20-year lease has been agreed with Wickes, with work estimated to take six months to complete.
The new Aberdeen site is almost 100 miles away and a two-and-a-half hour journey by car.
The second-nearest locations to the Highland Wickes is currently Perth.
Other locations include Dundee and Stirling, but don’t provide a better commute at 138 miles and 145 miles away respectively.
