A MAJOR high street retailer is being forced to move into smaller premises for 18 months during the redevelopment of Blackburn's Lord Square.
No alternative similar-sized shop is available, so WH Smith is moving to a site one-third the size of its current base in the rundown part of town.
The news comes as bosses confirmed that the Bookland book shop, also in Lord Square, will shut at the end of May, prompting staff to complain about supermarkets taking a large chunk of their trade.
The £15million rejuvenation of Lord Square, by London-based owners Reit Asset Management, is due to begin in the summer and will create a new covered shopping area with new units to attract major retail names.
Store manager at Blackburn's WH Smith, Mark Ashworth, said: "We have to be out before or after Christmas.
"There aren't a lot of units available of this size, 6,500 sq ft. The only ones are considerably smaller - about one-third the size. We'll still carry the top-selling lines, and do the best with the space we have.
"We'll have a full book ordering service, but will have to condense our store. Our book accounts with many schools in the borough will be maintained.
"We're determined to keep our presence in Blackburn and property talks are under way. After 18 months, we'll return to Lord Square."
Bookland says it is now focusing on its business in Cheshire and North Wales.
It bought the old Seed and Gabbutt bookshop in Blackburn's King William Street in the 1980s, before relocating to the current site, where the lease is ending.
Three workers will lose their jobs, said sales assistant Ann-Marie Byrom. At its height, she said the shop had eight employees, while Seed and Gabbutt once employed twice the number.
She added: "It's a sad day. We're all upset, but I'm afraid there's little we can do."
She said she believed the closure illustrated the book-buying power of supermarkets, which buy huge amounts of bestsellers from publishers at discounted prices, enabling them to be sell the titles at cheaper prices.
And Bookland spokesman David Halton said: "It's a pretty depressing situation. I've got a real heart for Blackburn. I'm sure there's room for an independent bookshop, offering better customer service, specialist fiction and niche titles. But supermarkets have taken away the bread-and-butter of bestsellers."
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