rotherham business news

Poundworld has entered administration after a potential buyer could not be secured for the Yorkshire-based discount chain.

Administrators from Deloitte said its 355 stores will continue to trade as normal with no redundancies at this time.

In Rotherham, Poundworld operates stores on Howard Street in Rotherham town centre and at Parkgate Shopping.

Poundworld Retail also operates as Bargain Buys, which has a store in the high profile premises on College Street, known by many as the previous home of national retailer, Marks & Spencer.

The administrators work to maximise realisations for stakeholders, in this case a private equity firm, either through an orderly sale of the business or a rescue of the company itself through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

A pre-packaged sale has not be agreed although it was rumoured that company founder, Chris Edwards, could buy back his family firm.

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Clare Boardman, joint administrator, said: "The retail trading environment in the UK remains extremely challenging and Poundworld has been seeking to address this through a restructure of its business. Unfortunately, this has not been possible.

"We still believe a buyer can be found for the business or at least part of it and we are keeping staff appraised of developments as they happen. We thank all employees for their support at this difficult time."

Based in Normanton, the firm employs over 5,000 staff and was acquired by TPG Capital in 2015 for £150m when it was undergoing an aggressive expansion and store opening plan.

The property rented by Bargain Buys at 27 - 29 College Street was sold prior to an auction in December 2017.

With eye-catching half mock timber and decorative Art Nouveau style windows above, the ground floor is let to Poundworld Retail Limited until 2021. The retailer pays a rent of £118,000 per annum.

Poundworld website

Images: Fawcett Mead

A historic building housing a popular pub in Rotherham town centre has gone up for sale.

The High House is a three storey building prominently positioned close to the Town Hall. The internal trading areas are split into two distinct venues: the High House pub and Fubar, in the basement.

Chartered surveying firm, James A Baker, is now listing the freehold of the Moorgate Street building for sale at £210,000 plus VAT.

The gross internal area (GIA) on the ground floor is 2,613 sq ft and that the plot size amounts to circa 0.16 acres.

The listing states that: "The High House comprises an open plan bar area set around a central servery with perimeter and tiered seating with additional games area. Ancillary trade areas include customer WC's, glass wash, commercial kitchen and basement cellarage.

"Fubar is located in the basement and is accessed seperately from an external staircase. Set around a central servery, the floorplate is open plan with perimeter boothed seating. The venue benefits from customer WC's and shares the same beer cellar as the pub.

"Private accommodation is spread across the first and second floors, comprising five double bedrooms, kitchen, living room, office, bathroom and stores. Externally and to the front there is a benched trade patio, whilst to the side there is car parking for up to seven vehicles."

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The building is of brick construction with part painted and rendered elevations, which sits beneath a number of pitched tiled roofs. Whilst not a listed building, the property is on Rotherham Civic Society's local list which compiles properties of architectural or historic interest.

The society states that from 1856 onwards the High House was licensed as an Inn with "the first licensee being Charles Dobb who also traded as a stone mason / builder." Historians had previously said that the High House was once a "school for young gentlemen" but this has not been verified.

The High House continues to trade and the "new fubar" is reopening this weekend on June 16.

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The sale particulars add that: "The High House offers considerable scope for local and regional public house and bar operators to build on the existing wet trade and introduce a food offering. The property also has a wide range of alternate uses subject to the granting of the necessary permissions and is likely to be of interest to owner occupiers, investors, builders and developers."

The property sits near to the Cross Keys pub which sold at auction for £141,000 in 2016 but has continued to remain vacant. Also on The Crofts is the George Wright boutique hotel, bar and restaurant which has recently opened following a £500,000 revamp.

James A Baker is also advertising the sale of the freehold at The Ship Inn - a traditional two storey public house located in the Rotherham suburb of Greasbrough.

James A Baker website

Images: James A Baker

Plans for a standalone Tesco store alongside a pub at North Anston are being recommended for refusal after a dispute over the land has lead to a "poor layout" being submitted.

The planning application, which dates back to 2015, proposes the construction of an extension to The Cutler public house to provide a separate new retail shop unit for Tesco's.

It is proposed that the Cutler remains in use as a public house whilst a 3,100 sq ft Tesco Express store is built to the North to cater for local retailing needs.

The ownership of the site has been separated between the applicant, who would lease from the current owner Wulstan Capital, and the owners of the public house who retain ownership of The Cutler building and land to the south including the car park and the access from Woodsetts Road.

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The pub owners want to keep the beer garden on the site which has caused problems for Tesco.

An officer's report to an upcoming planning board explains: "The Council have requested that Tesco's engage in negotiations with the owners of this land to include it within their site and therefore their control. However, Tesco's have confirmed that the owner is unwilling to sell this land to them and wishes to retain it as part of the licensed public house premises.

"Whilst this is noted, it is considered that the proposed ownership arrangement creates a poor and unsatisfactory layout by physically disconnecting this beer garden area from the licensed premises of The Cutler public house. This would lead to users of the public house having to walk past the store premises with their drinks and the staff of the public house being unable to provide adequate surveillance of their beer garden."

84 objections to the scheme have been received, including from neighbouring residents who have raised concerns about the possibility for anti-social behaviour occurring from the beer garden as the site would be remote from the public house and would not be overlooked by the store.

Members of the planning board are being recommended to refuse the application "for the poor layout as the development would fail to contribute to securing a healthy and safe environment."

Tesco website

Images: Google Maps

Rotherham's GVA growth has been boosted by a burgeoning consumer economy, recent research has found.

The UK Powerhouse study is produced by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and provides an estimate of GVA growth and job creation within 45 of the UK's largest cities 12 months ahead of the Government's official figures.

Rotherham's £4.3 billion a year economy was a top performer in 2017 and for for quarter 4, it continued to grow with a rate of 1.4%, and ranked at 13th, well within the top third of the regional economies in the study.

An update to the study has focused on the consumer sector in the UK, including retail, tourism and leisure, and restaurants and bars, which was worth £400bn in 2017.

The in-depth study includes the Consumer Powerhouse Table where Cebr utilised a range of timely indicators to create a "nowcast" of GVA and employment for the consumer sector in a range of key cities across the UK, and also a forecast for Q4 2018.

Rotherham is ranked 18th in the UK with a 2% growth in GVA in the consumer sector, ahead of the average GVA growth across the areas in the study which was 1.5% annually in Q4 2017.

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Rotherham's annualised GVA in the consumer sector is an estimated at £160m. By comparison, Bristol's £500m consumer economy grew by 3.1% while London's £10 billion consumer economy grew by 0.1%.

GVA, or Growth Value Added, is the increase in the value of the economy due to the production of goods and services. It is widely recognised by Government and policy makers as a measure of local economies.

Rotherham's annualised GVA in the consumer sector is predicted to grow by a further 2% to £170m by the end of 2018.

The borough fairs less well for employment where 13,300 jobs were in the consumer sector at the end of 2017, a drop of -2.5%, one of the biggest in the study. Whilst further GVA growth is predicted the actual number of jobs is predicted to fall again to 13,100.

Victoria Brackett, CEO of Business Legal Services at Irwin Mitchell, said: "The consumer sector is a key driver for economic growth here in the UK and across the world. However, the sector is facing significant disruption at every turn, including digital and technological change."

Brexit, new regulation, changing consumer buyer behaviour and the on-going skills gap are also discussed.

Irwin Mitchell website

Images: Parkgate Shopping

Profits are up at Planet X following two years of restructuring at the Rotherham-based specialist in providing bikes at no-nonsense prices.

Originally founded by keen triathlete Dave Loughran in the 1990's, Planet X now sells over 10,000 bicycle products worldwide and employs 60 staff. It designs and sells under its own Planet X, On One and Titus brands. It has also acquired the respected Holdsworth and Viner brands, relaunching them by manufacturing the bikes in the UK and Italy.

For the year ending March 2018, turnover was £15m, down from the highs of £20m in previous years due to the company's strategy of focusing on the most profitable areas of the business and improving operational efficiencies. A number of redundancies were reported in 2016.

Now profit before tax for the year has risen from £1.1m to £1.8m, a 64% increase on the previous year.

With a showroom at Templeborough, Planet X previously invested in new 47,000 sq ft warehouse facilities across Rotherham, at Aldwarke.

Loughran has recently been working with Trevor Parker, chairman of strategy execution experts, NorthCo Management, to drive forward the business and support its growth ambitions. The focus is on reaching a wider consumer base online and on designing and developing its core product range.

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Dave Loughran, chief executive at Planet X, said: "Our strategy to focus upon great quality at sensible prices really resonates with an ever-savvy customer base. We are very excited with the growth opportunities of the business as we resurrect some iconic cycling brands."

Trevor Parker, chairman of NorthCo Management, added: "Planet X's profit margins are a real indicator of how the business has responded to our operational restructuring programme.

"Our focus has been on simplifying Plant X's business model in order to create a robust direct to consumer distribution platform, placing Planet X in prime position to take advantage of market opportunities as they arise. The adage of turnover is vanity, profit is sanity and cash is king is very fitting. Turnover has been sacrificed for an impressive rise in profit.

"In addition, the impact of our continued work at Planet X on the balance sheet over the year has seen us pay down debt of £2.8m so that we are now debt free and despite significant dividends being paid, cash reserves have improved by over £400k to £1.7m."

One highlight for Planet X was bringing Holdsworth, a prominent professional bike racing team of the 1970's, back to professional racing. The team secured a coveted place on the recent Tour de Yorkshire.

Planet X website

Images: Planet X / holdsworth

The Rotherham-based Crawshaw Group Plc, the UK's leading value butcher, has continued to be hit by challenging high street trading conditions.

The AIM-listed Hellaby firm reported a trading update ahead of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) which looked at the 20 weeks to June 17 2018. Group sales were at -1.6% with like-for-like sales down 12.9% for the same period.

Crawshaws said that the trading performance of high street shops remains challenging and "reflects the widely reported lower footfall and softer consumer sentiment." However, it added that the factory shop format continues to perform well in this environment.

The results follow on from disappointing financial results for the year to January 28 where group revenue rose 1% to £44.6m but there was an underlying operating loss of £2.0m, an increase from the £1.1m loss reported in 2017.

The group also reported a statutory loss before tax of £13.5m, compared with a loss of £1.4m the previous year, due to a one off non cash impairment charge of £10.6m and £0.8m exceptional costs.

A transformational 2017 deal with the 2 Sisters Food Group enabled Crawshaw to restart its accelerated new store opening programme, with an initial focus on factory shop locations.

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The pre-AGM statement added: "There are numerous key sales-driving and cost-saving initiatives currently being undertaken to improve performance in our high street estate including the strategic development of our central production to enable us to re-align the store labour model and improve instore efficiencies while promoting our high standards of customer service. With these initiatives well underway, we believe the majority of our high street stores are capable of generating an improved return.

"We continue to work through this period of transition as we rebalance the portfolio away from its historical dependence on high streets and towards the unique and successful factory shop format, which underpins the long-term profitability of the business. We have opened a further two factory shops in the year taking our total to 12 within the estate and these shops are trading in line with the Board's expectations. We plan to open a further three new shops of this type during the remainder of current financial year."

Jim Viggars, Chief Executive Officer at Crawshaw plc, said: "Whilst the trading performance in our high street estate remains challenging, our team of great colleagues will strive to capture available growth. Our factory shops continue to perform well, and I am confident that repositioning the Group towards the successful factory shop model will strengthen Crawshaws' position as the country's best value butcher and improve the long-term profitability of the business."

Crawshaw Group plc website

Images: Crawshaw

Grimm & Co, the innovative literacy charity that brings a truly unique retail offering to Rotherham's High Street, has been named as a finalist at the prestigious White Rose Awards 2018, the largest celebration of tourism in the UK.

Opening in a former pub in 2016, the Apothecary to the Magical sells wild schemes, evil plots, charms, curses and kitchenware. It was recently voted "No. 159 best shop for all things wicked" by Witch? magazine.

Above the shop, the Yorkshire charity runs innovative storytelling and writing workshops for children in the local area, to unleash their imaginations and build confidence, self-respect and communication skills.

Run by tourism member organisation, Welcome to Yorkshire, the awards recognise the very best of this county's thriving tourism industry including pubs and restaurants, food and drink, hotels and caravan sites, visitor attractions, cultural events and customer service.

Grimm & Co will go up against the county's best in the Small Attraction of the Year category.

A spokesperson for Grimm & Co said: "The elves haven't stopped doing their happy dance yet!"

Just being a finalist means that the charity will be profiled by Welcome to Yorkshire and could receive a mystery shopper visit and feedback reports.

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Professor Colin Mellors, chair of the White Rose Award Judges, said: "Winning a White Rose Award is a real accolade for Yorkshire's tourism businesses and the task of shortlisting has been harder than ever. The standard of entries has been exceptional which is evidenced by the strength of the shortlists. It is testimony to the remarkable range and quality of the region's tourism offer. With such tough competition, and a record 170 entries, selecting the winners this year is going to be extremely difficult."

Sir Gary Verity DL, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, added: "The White Rose Awards are the largest and most prestigious in the UK's hospitality and tourism industry and we have some really exciting finalists this year from both new and established businesses. The awards are a brilliant opportunity to shine the spotlight on the fantastic experiences to be had in Yorkshire. As well as the coveted gongs expect a night of first class entertainment - an event not to be missed!"

The year's event - "Yorkshire's Big Night Out" will see more than a thousand people celebrate at the Harrogate Convention Centre on November 12 2018. A recent study found that tourism in Yorkshire is worth £8 billion annually.

Grimm & Co website
Welcome to Yorkshire website

Images: Grimm & Co

Rotherham Council could knock back plans for a new bar after planning officers set out a position that it is not convinced that more drinking establishments are needed on the main street in a popular Rotherham suburb.

Rothbiz has previously reported on proposals that would enable current operators to expand in Wickersley.

A planning application was submitted earlier this year from the owners and operators of the Olive Lounge bar and restaurant that would enable a new real ale (craft beer) style bar to open in the former Village Butcher premises on Bawtry Road.

This was followed by an application from the owners of The Courtyard who want to expand the popular bar into an adjacent retail unit.

Applicants argue that retail units in Wickersley are not attractive to the market, and that occupation by other uses, such as A4 drinking establishments, would reduce vacancy levels, and improve the townscape and vitality and viability of the centre.

Local ward councillors have objected to plans stating that they had received "increasing numbers of complaints from local residents with concerns about late night noise nuisance, parking issues and anti-social behaviour relating to the night time economy."

Wickersley ward councillors said in February: "As we have seen the decline of Rotherham Town Centre Wickersley appears to have become the destination of choice for evening entertainment for a wide area of Rotherham, however, if Wickersley is to keep its successful residential and community feeling it needs to keep a mixed retail offer and not just become the drinking hub for the whole of Rotherham. After all Wickersley is just a village that cannot and should not have to put up with all these problems."

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Neither application has been determined yet but a position statement has been issued from the Council's Planning Policy team. It sets out that the continued growth of Wickersley is likely to create ongoing demand in the future to support this district centre and that the evidence presented with the applications has not convinced them of the retail units being unattractive.

Adopted only this week, new planning policies in the borough's local plan only support specified alternative uses like new bars where proposals would not reduce the percentage of A1 (retail) uses below 65%, or further reduce them where they are already below this figure. It states that "in particular new drinking establishments and hot food takeaways are more appropriately located within other parts of town or district centres."

Retail currently comprises 67% of the uses within the primary shopping frontage in Wickersley.

Ryan Shepherd, senior planning officer at Rotherham Council, said in a memo: "Considering the potential cumulative impact of the two proposals, together the developments would result in the loss of two A1 units and reduce the overall number of units within the primary shopping frontage by 1. It would reduce lawful A1 uses to 64%, contrary to Draft Policy SP23.

"Even if a degree of flexibility regarding appropriate uses is employed the proposals, cumulatively, would reduce the percentage of A1 uses below the threshold set out in Draft Policy SP23 and therefore would not be supported.

"Furthermore I consider that there is flexibility within the Local Plan to consider the development of A4 uses in a number of locations outside of Primary Shopping Frontages. Finally I do not consider that the evidence presented regarding the vitality and viability of the centre outweighs my concerns regarding the compliance of the proposed developments with Local Plan policies.

"I remain of the view that the applications should be refused as contrary to Draft Policies SP22 Development Within Town, District and Local Centres and SP23 Primary Shopping Frontages (as proposed to be amended)."

The Courtyard Facebook page
Olive Lounge website

Images: Google Maps / Olive Lounge

From fighting fires to filling fryers, from fireman's pole to lemon sole. Maltby's former fire station is set be converted into a fish & chip restaurant and takeaway after plans were approved by the planning board at Rotherham Council, despite a number of objections.

Rothbiz reported in April that proposals had been put forward to turn the 3,500 sq ft purpose built fire station on the High Street into a chip shop with the main area, which would have housed the fire engines, used as a restaurant with the roller shutter doors replaced by new windows.

Moving to a new joint operation at Maltby in 2017, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue closed its High Street site and put it up for sale at £250,000 through agents, Fernie Greaves.

The change of use plans, which would create 20 jobs, were discussed at a meeting of the planning board last week. A number of objections had been received, mainly based on the fact that the High Street already has a number of takeaways but also on noise and transport.

Only 51% of premises on the main frontage in Maltby are A1 retail uses, below the 65% target in the Council's policy. The application site is considered an edge of centre location and other potential sites around Maltby have been discounted as being too small.

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The site is allocated for community use but applicant, John Radford, explained to the board: "The application is for a quality restaurant with ancillary takeaway with off street parking - the takeaway is part of the restaurant and would close at 10pm and would not sell alcohol or offer a delivery service.

"The restaurant and takeaway will be both owned and run by a local man with many year's experience in the proposed use."

Radford confirmed that the accepted sealed bid for the property was £295,000, making potential community use unviable. He added that additional costs for demolition and leveling the site means that housing on the site would also be unviable.

Cllr. John Kirk raised Maltby Town Council's concerns at the meeting. He said: "We need new restaurants and new facilities in Maltby but we do object very strongly to another takeaway. The joke is that we've got more takeaways than doctors in Maltby."

A policy which stated that hot food takeaways will not be permitted where they are within 800 metres of a primary school, secondary school or college, was thrown out by the Government's planning inspector last year.

Cllr. John Williams, member of the planning board, lamented the loss of community buildings but supported the plans, stating: "This is a prominent, key building on the local High Street and I think what we've got in this application is a proposal to bring it back into use, based on a business model that we know that works."

Members of the planning board voted unanimously to approve the application.

Images: Google Maps

Rotherham-based young entrepreneur Jordan Mangnall is one of a number of young people that are committed to reviving Rotherham town centre.

Aged 20, Jordan opened Jaded Heart on Moorgate Street in March 2017 and has since launched over 170 products including exclusives from Bomb Cosmetics as well as clothing, alchemy and jewellery ranges. Jordan plans to introduce a further 80 products to the store to mark a period of strong growth and significant increases in both sales and footfall.

Jordan was as runner up of Rotherham Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2017, alongside neighbour Tom Ridgeway of Cutthroats Barbershop. The main award was won by another town centre based entrepreneur - Emily Dawson from the Holy Ghost Tattoo Collective.

An advocate of bringing life back to the high street, Jordan describes the past eighteen months as being "a whirlwind of emotions" following a period of extreme anxiety and depression, during which the business idea was born.

From starting off as a solo entrepreneur pursuing a passion, Jordan has grown the business considerably to date having received a grant from the UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) Kickstart Fund. The retailer has recently introduced loyalty cards for her mounting customer base and will be attending the upcoming Rotherham Show to display her impressive range of products.

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Jordan Mangall, founder of Jaded Heart, said: "I have always had a passion for aromatherapy and relaxation products and as a teenager I would spend all of my pocket money on bath bombs and candles. I discovered whenever I was feeling anxious and needed to relax, the first thing I would do was run a bath and fill it with any product I could find!

"My business has been founded on bringing a sense of relaxation in times of need, and I really can’t quite believe how it has taken off. I never could have imagined that within my first year of trading I'd be shortlisted as Rotherham Young Entrepreneur of the Year and nominated for a Yorkshire Choice Award, let alone becoming a major stockist of a global brand!"

The UKSE Kickstart Fund was launched with support from RIDO and Rotherham Youth Enterprise and is dedicated to supporting people looking to establish a business in the local area.

Allan Wood from UK Steel Enterprise, said: "It's uplifting to see the success that Jaded Heart has achieved in such a short space of time after receiving a grant from the UKSE Kickstart Fund.

"Testament to Jordan's perseverance, dedication and overall business acumen, I have no doubt that the future of Jaded Heart will be a prosperous one."

Jaded Heart website
UKSE website

Images: UKSE

The new owners of historic national retailer, Greenwoods Menswear, has decided to move its Rotherham store to Sheffield.

Last year Adrian Berry and Clare Boardman of Deloitte LLP were appointed joint administrators with 300 jobs and 60 stores at risk.

Versatile International Trading took the business on and pledged to keep 40 stores open - including the store in Rotherham town centre.

The Rotherham "flagship" store opened on College Street in 2011 in the former Music Zone unit. The move into the store was helped by an £8,000 grant from the Council's Town Centre Business Vitality Grant Scheme.

Now a deal has been secured for Greenwoods to open at Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre in Sheffield which will mean that the Rotherham store will close.

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The retailer has stores nationwide and specialises in men's formalwear and smart casual clothing whilst also developing the 1860 Brand, a hire wear specialist of wedding, evening and Highland wear suits. The company also operates its niche brand "Mansize" which caters for the larger man, whilst still retaining high quality styling and fabrics.

Lee Greenwood, centre manager at Crystal Peaks, said: "We are delighted to welcome Greenwoods Menswear to Crystal Peaks.

"A name with this reputation for quality and value adds to an already strong fashion offering for Crystal Peaks visitors."

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The firm has struggled in the challenging retail sector before. In 2009 Greenwoods was bought out of administration by Harvest Fancy Hong Kong Ltd, an arm of Bosideng, one of China's biggest clothing chains. Under subsidiary, Pacific Trend Investment, the business was then acquired by fully by Bosideng in October 2014.

Last July, the freehold shop investment at 31 College Street (the Greenwoods store) went under the hammer with national auctioneers, Allsop, and was sold at the guide price of £300,000. The legal pack showed that the 3,800 sq ft property was let to Greenwoods Menswear Limited on a lease expiring in 2021. The current rent was shown as £30,000 per annum and the 2017 break clause was not exercised.

Rothbiz reported last month that the adjacent property is also at risk of becoming vacant as Poundworld Retail the operator of Bargain Buys, has gone into administration.

Images: Allsop

A planning application looks set to be approved for a new retail foodstore in Rotherham from German global discount chain, Lidl.

Rothbiz reported first last year on Lidl bringing forward plans for a new store that would create around 40 jobs on land at Dalton. The plans are now set to go in front of the planning board at Rotherham Council this week and members are being recommended by officers that they are approved.

The plans are for a new 23,700 sq ft "modern and attractive neighbourhood foodstore" on the site of the former Dalton Progressive Working Men's Club. With a sales area of 14,200 sq ft the store is estimated to generate a turnover of £7.12m.

The club building was vacated after the operation fell into administration in 2016. The property burnt down in February 2018 and the site of proposed store includes land to the north and west of the demolished building. A regional housebuilder showed interest in the site but it never transpired to a sale.

Due to the constraints that the site presents, the retail unit will be positioned behind the line of existing development. 127 parking spaces are featured in the plans and assessments over transport and noise are included, as is a scheme for landscaping around the development.

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The Doncaster Road site was identified for a mix of retail and residential use in the recently adopted Sites and Policies Document and is considered edge-of-centre in planning terms.

It is agreed that Lidl offers a relatively limited range of products and would often not seek to compete directly with existing local retail operators. However, an impact test has been included with the proposals.

The plans, drawn up by consultants at Walshingham Planning, stated: "The new Lidl foodstore will significantly enhance the current physical appearance of the site and surrounding local centre.

"The new foodstore will not have any significant adverse impacts on any designated centre, and will not compromise any committed or planned public and private investment. In fact, the proposal will significantly strengthen the convenience retail offer available in Dalton Local Centre, thus enhancing its vitality and viability."

In addition, two objections were received relating to highway safety considerations and with regard to the likely generation of traffic and likely impact on the surrounding highway network but the Council's Transportation Unit have concluded that this is not likely to be materially detrimental.

Lidl was founded in Germany in the 1930's and has grown consistently, now operating over 10,000 stores in 27 countries. Launching in the UK in September 1994, Lidl today has 670 stores here - with one on the edge of Rotherham town centre.

According to analysts, Kantar Worldpanel, Lidl experienced a 10% increase in sales growth over the last year, the only bricks and mortar retailer to experience double digital growth. The discounter has a market share of 5.4%. Lidl bosses have previously discussed its aggressive expansion with a plan to roll-out "at least one shop a week" with investment of £1.45bn up to 2019.

Lidl website

Images: SMR Architects

The Rotherham Mothercare store is set to close as part of the refinancing and restructuring plans put in place to save the national retailer.

Rothbiz reported in May on how the struggling firm was hoping to secure its future by implementing a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) to close underperforming stores and reduce rents across the remaining portfolio.

Whilst a CVA was completed for Mothercare UK Limited and ELC Limited last week, a CVA could not be completed for subsidiary Childrens World Limited - and that is the nail in the coffin for the Rotherham store.

Mothercare bought Children's World in 1996 and this included the large unit (complete with entrance slide) at Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham. Converted first to Mothercare World, in 2013 it became the brand's first outlet store in the UK. In 2015 the unit was subdivided and fellow retailer Smyths Toys took 15,000 sq ft of space.

Childrens World Limited, which is responsible for the Parkgate store, has now been placed in administration and Mothercare has announced that it will close a total of 60 UK stores by next June 2019.

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The company is hoping to raise capital through an equity issue and also revise debt facilities. It said that its initiatives have identified cost savings totalling £19m together with £10m cash realisation from the store restructuring.

Clive Whiley, interim executive chairman at Mothercare, said: "When I joined the business just three months ago, Mothercare faced a bleak future with growing and pressing financial stresses upon the business. We have worked tirelessly as a team to get to where we are today and this fully underwritten equity issue marks the end of this initial phase, returning the Group to financial stability. This could not have happened without the support of all of our stakeholders for which we are very grateful.

"Alongside the fundraising, we have been very busy on numerous fronts to restructure the Group for future profitability. Whilst the lack of full approval for the Childrens World CVA was disappointing, we have now found a solution which allows us to go further and faster with the right-sizing of our store portfolio. We have also identified significant areas for further efficiencies and cost savings, which will underpin our return to a sustainable future."

75% approval from unsecured creditors is needed to complete a CVA. Childrens World Ltd gained 73.3%. Mothercare said that it will temporarily occupy, under a licence, nine Children's World stores due to be closed "in order to ensure they are closed down in an orderly fashion."

Mothercare website

Images: Google Maps

YOH Burger has launched in Rotherham offering handmade burgers, wraps, salads and desserts in a retro-inspired casual diner.

The new food outlet is situated at the Fizwilliam Service Station in Eastwood where enterprising operator, Fuzail Patel, has undertaken the conversion to offer something different at the petrol station.

Plans were approved last year for a change of use at the service station and retail store which also involved demolishing the car wash to create further parking spaces and outdoor seating.

Following a substantial fit out, a launch event was held this weekend and the restaurant's approach to burgers is similar to Subway's approach to sandwiches. Diners are given choices of breads and fillings and invited to "make it YOH way."

The store also features a dedicated dessert counter with fresh cakes, ice creams, premium milkshakes, waffles and cookie dough.

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The Rotherham opening could be the first of many for the new brand.

A spokesperson told thebusinessdesk.com: "We are delighted to open our first in Rotherham and bring a unique concept to the town.

"We genuinely believe our build-your-own burger concept and our emphasis on fresh quality locally sourced products is something the region has never experienced before.

"As a company we have ambitious plans to take this concept across the UK not only to forecourts but also on the High Street as a standalone concept.

"Our aim going forward is to really drive our expansion in Yorkshire and want this Fitzwilliam Road store to be the first of a long chain in the region creating jobs for the locality."

YOH Burger website

Images: YOH Burger / Facebook

Expansion plans set to create 35 new jobs at the popular Wentworth Garden Centre in Rotherham have been approved.

The destination garden centre is situated in sixteen acres in the former walled kitchen, Italian and Japanese gardens of Wentworth Woodhouse and in the picturesque historic village of Wentworth. It attracts approximately 284,000 visitors each year.

Established for more than 30 years, the family owned independent centre has undergone a number of improvements and investment projects, with historic gardens, a craft centre, family farm and a landmark 260 seat restaurant.

After initial plans were withdrawn, a revised development scheme, drawn up by Malcolm Scott Consultants, is for 9,600 sq ft of space split into three buildings. It involves replacing the existing conservatory display area and replacing it with high quality structures. The design will create a courtyard which links to the existing courtyard.

The development will allow the operation to extend its Orangery Restaurant and launch a deli food hall and second catering outlet.

The consent took several months of negotiation with Rotherham Council to reach agreement due to the extension being a large development located both within the Green Belt, adjacent to Conservation Area, but also due to it being based within the setting of a Listed Building.

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Chris Primett of Malcolm Scott Consultants (MSC), said: "The key to a successful outcome like this is to be realistic in terms of what development is proposed, whist also continuing to make the business case for such a development in such a highly sensitive area.

"This permission will have a marked impact on Wentworth Garden Centre, and we were able to prove that such an extension to the centre would not only be in-keeping with the sensitive surroundings, but also within the local interest, providing a much-used asset for visitors and jobs within the area."

Tony Airey, owner of the centre, said: "The existing Walled Garden Coffee Shop and Restaurant was built about seven years ago. At that time that we thought we might struggle to fill it but experience very quickly dispelled that notion.

"As with all garden centres, catering tends to drive footfall and Wentworth is no exception. This new project will provide a further 150-plus seats and enable us to add different menus, table service and an improved ambience. Afternoon teas are very important to our operation, and this development will give us all the options we need.

"MSC was vital to achieving this result in terms of our initial "shopping list". Close liaison with the planning authority which has developed over several years with Chris Primett and his colleagues working on our behalf, has definitely helped in achieving our aims.

"As a business, we have always tried to work with rather than against the planning authority and this fostering of good relationships definitely helps when looking at projects in the medium to long term."

Wentworth Garden centre website

Images: Wentworth Garden Centre

All Poundworld stores in Rotherham will have closed by August 10 unless the administrator of the failed retailer secures an eleventh hour deal for the remaining stores.

Rothbiz reported last month that administrators from Deloitte had been appointed by the Yorkshire-based discount retailer which was suffering in extremely challenging trading conditions.

Administrators have so far failed to secure a deal to save the business through a sale or a rescue of the company itself through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).

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Poundworld Retail operated 355 stores in the UK. In Rotherham, Poundworld operated stores on Howard Street in Rotherham town centre and at Parkgate Shopping.

Poundworld Retail also operates as Bargain Buys, which has a store in the high profile premises on College Street, known by many as the previous home of national retailer, Marks & Spencer.

Announcements confirmed specific store closures as a deal appeared more and more unlikely. The town centre store closed last week and the Parkgate store was due to close this week.

In a recent announcement, Deloitte said that the remainder of the estate would shut their doors by August 10 if no buyer for the chain is found.

Clare Boardman, joint administrator at Deloitte, said: "We would like to thank all the employees for their continued support and commitment during this difficult time. We are keeping staff appraised of developments as they happen."

The Financial Times reported that Poundworld founder Chris Edwards and Steve Smith, founder of rival Poundland, have been in talks regarding a takeover.

Based in Normanton, the firm employed over 5,000 staff and was acquired by TPG Capital in 2015 for £150m when it was undergoing an aggressive expansion and store opening plan.

Images: Google Maps

Rotherham manufacturing firm AESSEAL has earned top scores in the UK's largest independent customer satisfaction survey – beating giants including Amazon, John Lewis, Apple and IKEA.

With its global headquarters at Templeborough, the award-winning company manufactures mechanical seals for a wide range of industries, including oil and gas, food, water, mining and pharmaceuticals.

AESSEAL scored 87.5 out of 100, compared with a UK average of 77.9 and beating Amazon, who achieved the highest score of the published UKCSI listed organisations.

The The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) is considered the national measure of customer satisfaction. It gives insight into the quality of customer service in 13 sectors of the economy, as well as the UK as a whole, and reveals how companies measure up against each other.

AESSEAL scored significantly above average in all the categories its customers were questioned on, including product quality, reliability and cost, the helpfulness and competence of staff and notably customer effort (how easy it is to do business with AESSEAL).

The company's ethos is based around providing such exceptional service to customers that they need never consider alternative sources of supply.

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Chloe Davies, European customer service manager at AESSEAL, said: "As a company we've always had a very strong focus on customer service and have won numerous awards in recognition of this.

"We chose to be assessed against the Retail (non-food) Sector of the UKCSI - the toughest classification which really sets the bar for customer satisfaction and innovation in customer service.

"Obviously we're thrilled to have scored higher than companies of the scale and reputation of Amazon and John Lewis, but at the end of the day the most important thing is that our customers are very happy with our products, staff and services."

She added that AESSEAL will not be sitting back on its laurels.

"We'll be examining the full report in great detail to look at any areas where we might improve our customer service even further."

AESSEAL website

Images: AESSEAL

Bosses at Rotherham-based United Carpets, the third largest chain of specialist retail carpet and floor covering stores in the UK, have been pleased with the company's 3.2% like for like sales increase.

Challenges in the retail market, and within the home furnishings sector in particular, have persisted since the Bramley-based, AIM-listed company restructured its business following a pre-pack administration deal in 2012.

The group uses a franchise model and the board said that "recording moderate increases in revenue, level profits and positive like for like sales of 3.2% is therefore a satisfactory outcome for the year."

In its unaudited preliminary results for the year ended March 31 2018, United Carpets reported a pre-tax profit of £1.52m, compared to £1.53m in the previous year, as revenue rose 2.5% to £21.72m.

With the like-for-like sales increasing during the period the company said that they had however fallen 1.6% in the first months of the new financial year.

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During the year, one corporate store was added to the portfolio taking the total number of stores to 58. One new store could open this financial year. Of the 58 stores, 50 are operated by franchisees and eight are corporate stores of which three are considered to be long term corporate stores and five could be franchised.

The board at United Carpets said that the key driver for the increase in sales "came from the effectiveness of the franchise network and the combined commitment of our franchisees who act as individual business owners with the ability to draw upon the resources of the group."

Paul Eyre, chief executive at United Carpets, said: "In the context of today's retail market, achieving a 3.2% like for like sales increase was a pleasing performance. It reflects strong product ranges at attractive price points and a high level of personal commitment from our franchisees to their individual stores, displaying substantial resilience when market conditions become more challenging.

"While the adverse impact of the recent exceptional weather and the World Cup is unsurprising, the resilience of the franchise network represents a key point of differentiation for United Carpets and one that continues to be important in the current market environment."

United Carpets website

Images: United Carpets

Young entrepreneurs representing Rotherham will set their stall out this week as part of a competition to find the county's best young stallholder.

Rothbiz reported in May on the work of the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) in running a nationwide competition that celebrates young entrepreneurs trading on our markets, festivals and fairs.

A number of heats - including Rotherham on May 26 - have provided opportunities for young people to gain experience in trading. Markets are low-risk, affordable, and flexible platforms to test out, launch and grow a business and young people aged 16 to 30 from around the UK have taken part.

Two traders from Rotherham have been chosen to go through to trade at the regional Yorkshire finals at Leeds' famous Kirkgate Market on August 1. The largest covered market in Europe was the founding location of Marks & Spencer which opened in Leeds Market as a penny bazaar.

Jordan Mangnall, who runs Jaded Heart in Rotherham town centre will be taking part tomorrow. Aged 20, Jordan opened her store on Moorgate Street in March 2017 and has since launched over 170 products including exclusives from Bomb Cosmetics as well as clothing, alchemy and jewellery ranges. Jordan plans to introduce a further 80 products to the store to mark a period of strong growth and significant increases in both sales and footfall.

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Also taking part is Lauren Charlton from Rotherham who sells handmade illustrated designs and prints under her Yorkshire Print brand. Enterprising Lauren, 27, decided to launch the business whilst studying fine art at Manchester School of Art.

At the end of the event, one young trader will be crowned Yorkshire's Young Trader of the Year and three Highly Commended trophies will be awarded. Judging will be by markets industry experts.

At least one trader from every area will be offered a pitch on the National Youth Market in Stratford-upon-Avon on 31 August and 1 September. A £500 prize is up for grabs.

Joe Harrison, chief executive of the NMTF, said: "The event is a real demonstration of the potential of the region’s markets to support young entrepreneurs to test, grow, and launch a lean business.

"Yorkshire is leading the way in the UK – this event is the first of its kind in the country. Market operators have come together to support young traders with enthusiasm and professionalism."

Jaded Heart website
Yorkshire Print website
NMTF website

Images: Jaded Heart / Yorkshire Print / facebook

The owners of Parkgate Shopping in Rotherham have developed plans to create another 40,000 sq ft of retail space within an existing unit at the popular retail park.

Ranked in the top five retail parks in the country, Parkgate Shopping has 561,530 sq ft of retail and restaurant space and attracts eight million visitors per year with stores including Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Primark, Next, H&M and TK Maxx.

In a transaction worth around £175m, BMO Real Estate Partners (BMO) acquired Parkgate Shopping in September 2015 from the Hercules Unit Trust (HUT).

Now Interest Trustees Ltd & Spread Trustee Company Ltd (as Trustees of the Rotherham Unit Trust) have submitted details of proposals to create a new mezzanine level inside the existing unit that is currently occupied by fashion and homeware retailer, Matalan.

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The covering letter outlines how the owners believe that they can install the new mezzanine, which would create an additional 39,611 sq ft of retail space, without actually needing to receive planning permission.

Agents Lichfields, state: "It is material to the determination of this planning application that the applicant has "begun" the installation of mezzanine floorspace totalling 3,259 sq m within the unit prior to the relevant Development Order coming into force. Therefore this level of mezzanine floorspace is capable of implementation, and reconfiguration, without requiring further planning permission. This therefore establishes our clients "fallback position" in respect of this application."

Changes to national planning legislation in 2006 included an exemption for the completion of mezzanine floorspace where work had "begun" before the development order was made.

The application includes contracts, building control documents and photos showing that work had "begun" back in 2005 before the work was suspended.

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The owners are applying for 3,680 sq m but in any case believe that the planning legislation allows them to install the "protected" mezzanine floorspace of 3,259 sq m and then undertake separate works to install the additional mezzanine floorspace sought of 421 sq m in 200 sq m parcels without the need for planning permission.

The agents add: "The planning application proposal does not seek an increase in retail floorspace above what is "protected" and then capable of implementation without planning permission being required. However planning permission is sought for the applicant's preferred mezzanine in the interests of speed, cost and sustainability."

Similar approaches to installing mezzanine levels have previously been accepted by Rotherham Council for the Primark and H&M units at Parkgate.

The application does not make clear which retailer will use the additional space if and when the mezzanine is completed. In other UK retail parks, Matalan has sub-let space to other retailers, including Farmfoods and Carpetright.

Parkgate Shopping website
BMO websitehttp://www.bmorep.com/

Images: ESH / SmithYoung

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