The news that the only dedicated toyshop in Poole town centre is set to close has received negative reactions from local customers.
The Early Learning Centre store, owned by Mothercare, in the Dolphin Shopping Centre, Poole, has been open for 23 years and will close on March 20.
The next nearest ELC will now be within the Mothercare store at Poole Retail Park in Branksome.
“Some stores like Argos sell toys too. But if people in Poole want the toys with the same quality as ours, they will have to drive out of town or shop online, ” said the manager of the ELC.
“Some customers are used to buying presents for Christmas, Easter and birthdays here and it is really sad news for them,” he said.
The shop is being forced to close because it is no longer profitable, he added.
Poole Council spokesperson Ceri Lewis said: “It is never good to see large companies shutting their retail outlets on our High Street, however we can’t expect companies to continue making a loss through this sales channel.”
“We have a good record of pulling in new companies to fill the gaps and our vacancy rates are below the national average.
“We are also in the process of implementing a Local Development Order for the High Street, which will make it easier for retailers to open new outlets or change uses of current outlets,” she added.
Image by John Cooper
