The American business Hilco is to close the Hove branch of the struggling office stationery company Staples.
Hilco bought the chain’s British stores in November and is ending its high street presence, choosing to focus instead on online sales and business to business. Some branches may be rebranded.
The Hove branch, in Lyon Close, off Davigdor Road, was one of 107 stores included in the Hilco deal which was concluded for a “nominal sum”.
The chain employed about 1,300 staff. It said: “Although Staples will no longer be on the high street, we remain committed to providing great value service and will continue to operate online or by phone.”
When the British arm of Hilco agreed the deal, it said: “The use of the Staples brand will be phased out by the UK retail business over the coming months.”
The licence to use the Staples brand is due to expire in May.
Thats a shame i often went in there
I used it a fair bit until I found everything I wanted seemed to be at a reasonable price on their website but considerably more instore. I don’t mind paying a bit extra for the store’s overheads, and the convenience of being able to just pop in and get something, but in some cases the items were around double the cost. It made me wonder if the owners were deliberately inflating the price to justify shutting the store.
The staff have always been helpful, and the store is convenient to get to, but when you have to watch the cost that unfortunately takes preference.
For those who do not shop online this is the ONLY serious outlet for working supplies like laser printer drums/ink, box files, big plastic boxes of ALL sizes and shapes, bulk-buy boxes of pens, etc. I belted up there soon after reading this story to get two spare drum/ink cartridges to keep by for my printer. And 20% off too! Some things are 15% off.
I really feel quite distressed that we are losing this outlet. There is nothing else for miles and miles to compare. Nothing. Soon it will be online or nothing for shopping.
And that makes everyone a hostage to the internet – increasingly severe internet security issues too. All eggs in that basket? Not for me.
P.S. When I went up to Staples I was told staff had not been served with any notices, there has been no consultation with them of ANY kind. NOTHING. No indication of when closing. Nothing. So this article would be all the information they are being given which is mindbendingly WRONG.