A high-end supermarket that has called a Greater Manchester town its home for the last eight years has announced that it is pulling out after rising costs caused profits to drop. Customers at the Booths in Hale Barns, Altrincham, have called the closure a "huge loss".
Employees at the 30,000 sq ft shop will see their jobs protected and transferred to the upcoming Asda store, which is taking over the Booths lease in the coming months. Reacting to the change, some customers raised fears that the change would make the area more "downmarket."
Often incorrectly called the "Waitrose of the North" despite being founded half a century earlier than its southern rival, Booths has around 27 stores across the region and is renowned for its higher quality, and higher priced, retail offering. No date is set for when the Hale Barns store will become an Asda, but the Manchester Evening News understands that it is likely to be after Easter.
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A spokesperson for Booths said in a statement: "Booths have begun a consultation process with their colleagues at the Hale Barns store relating to a forthcoming transfer of the property lease for the store to ASDA. Since opening in 2015 we have worked hard to refine the offer and improve performance at Hale Barns, but the challenges of significantly increased operating costs have meant that we cannot see a future where the store will be profitable under the Booths model.
"It is anticipated that all jobs will be protected and transferred to ASDA (via TUPE) during this consultation process. Closing any store is a very difficult decision and it is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our team at Hale Barns, or across the wider Booths business.
"Booths would like to thank all colleagues and customers for their support since the store opened over 8 years ago. We would also like to provide some reassurance that we have no plans to exit any of our other stores."
Some in the community saw the Hale Barns store as a draw for the other shops in the area. On social media, Altrincham resident Diane said: "What a huge loss to the area as a whole not just Hale Barns but Hale and Altrincham too. Booths is a great supermarket and has a far more interesting offer than most when you looked beyond the 'typical' brands most supermarket stock.
"I don’t shop there weekly as I’m the other side of Altrincham but I do go out of my way to visit so I worry for the small retail area as I’ll certainly have no reason to visit Hale Barnes at all once this is closed and suspect many will be the same thus less passing trade for Costa and the pet shop etc."
Another social media user, Ann, agreed by saying: "Booths is a great bridge between the independent shop and the big supermarkets, it will be a sad loss to the area."
While Hale Barns resident Gary said: "It was bad enough not being in Cheshire, but now an Asda..."
