Staff at Queensferry B&Q told store will close in January

B&Q in Queensferry is to close in January 2016 with the loss of 40 jobs. 

Deeside and Alyn AM Carl Sargeant is seeking support for staff at a Deeside DIY store due to close its doors for good next year.

B&Q’s Queensferry branch on Deeside Retail Park will close in 2016, parent company Kingfisher confirmed today.

It is believed about 40 people work at the store. Kingfisher has said it will focus on redeploying as many staff as possible within B&Q and the Kingfisher Group, which includes Screwfix.

“I’m really sad to hear this devastating news for the employees of Queensferry B&Q and their families,” said AM Carl Sargeant.

“Staff members at the store have served the local community for a long time.

“I hope for them that Kingfisher will be able to find suitable work for them at other B&Q or Screwfix branches in the wider area.

“However, the company may not be able to accommodate all staff in this way and there could be many who are unable to travel to other sites.

“That’s why I will be writing to the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart, to ask how she can support these workers in finding alternative employment.”

  

Is it sign? of course it is but, could it be a signal the lights will go out for good at Queensferry B&Q given 60 are set to close over the next couple of years?…lets hope not

A photo posted by Deeside. com (@deesidedotcom) on Apr 16, 2015 at 3:16pm PDT

Kingfisher, which currently has 360 B&Q stores, have already announced the first group of stores to close: Southampton, Dundee, Baums Lane in Mansfield, Station Road in Stechford in Birmingham, Hyde in Greater Manchester, and Barnsley.

As well as Queensferry there are four other B&Q stores in north Wales under threat including Wrexham, Rhyl, Bangor and Llandudno.

The company say the closure of 60 stores will be on a rolling basis however, Kingfisher plans to open 60 new outlets under its Screwfix brand.

Chief executive Veronique Laury, said the planned closures are one of a number of “sharp” decisions being taken by the company.

She added;

“Home improvement is a great market with huge potential and Kingfisher has a strong position within it with further scope to grow in a sustainable way.

“However, it is clear to me that we need to organise ourselves very differently to unlock our potential.”

We have asked B&Q for a statement regarding the Queensferry stores future.

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