Poundland update after town centre shop mysteriously closes down
Poundland in Oldham reopened after an unexpected closure last week when landlords attempted to repossess the property. The company took legal action and was granted an injunction, allowing the store to resume operations. The closure raised concerns about redundancies, but the store is now back to normal hours. The landlords did not comment on the situation.
Poundland’s Oldham store has reopened following a dramatic legal battle after landlords attempted to repossess the property without warning, leaving shoppers confronted by shuttered doors and confused staff sent home on June 30.
The discount retailer secured an injunction against Merchant Taylor Commercial on Friday after taking emergency legal action, allowing the store to resume normal trading hours from Monday. The sudden closure had sparked fears among local employees about potential redundancies, prompting council leader Arooj Shah to pledge support for affected workers.
A Poundland spokesperson said the company was forced to act when landlords attempted to seize the property “without any notification,” claiming the action violated their lease agreement. “We believed their action fell outside the terms of our lease agreement and therefore took legal action to enable us to return to the store as soon as possible,” the spokesperson said, adding that the company remains “open to positive, open dialogue with landlords.”
The repossession notice served by Merchant Taylor Commercial included demands to take possession of all shop contents and payment of bailiff fees. The Oldham store had not been included in Poundland’s planned national restructure that could see 150 UK stores close, with the location absent from the initial list of 68 confirmed closures. The store now operates from 8am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30am to 4.30pm Sundays.
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