Londonderry Next Home closure 'a devastating blow'

The British retail giant Next confirmed that its furniture and homeware store would be closing on 1 February 2024

The planned closure of one of the flagship stores at a Londonderry retail park is a "huge blow", an Assembly member has said.

Next said the lease was up at the Crescent Link Home store and it would shut on 1 February 2024.

Around 25 people work there, and some have already been offered positions in other Next shops in Derry.

The retailer said it was "actively working" with staff to find them jobs at either Lisnagelvin or Foyleside.

The DUP MLA Gary Middleton said the announcement had come as a "huge" shock to staff.

"We do not want to be in a position those people are redundant and looking for jobs," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

He also said the retail park's management had not been told in advance of Next's closure plans.

"Conversations will now happen; they need to look at replacement, bringing in new retailers, Crescent Link is a very busy place, we don't want to see empty units," he said.

Crescent Link is one of the biggest retail developments in the north west

The Crescent Link site is one of the biggest retail developments in the north west and includes retail giants like Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Homebase.

A number of major retailers, including Maplin, Mothercare and Argos, have pulled out of the park in recent years.

Last year, supermarket chain Iceland scrapped plans to open at Crescent Link while earlier this year redevelopment plans for a new Marks and Spencer store were also shelved.

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Next has a total of 14 stores across Northern Ireland, including Belfast, Lisburn, Newry and Armagh.

The SDLP MP for Foyle, Colum Eastwood, described the news of the closure as "gutting" for staff and their families so close to Christmas.

Mr Eastwood said that every effort should be made to attract a new tenant to the site "to boost the local economy and to create jobs".

Sinn Féin assembly member Ciara Ferguson said the closure was "a devastating blow to workers, families and the local economy".