By Jenny Barwise

Last updated at 11:37, Friday, 22 February 2013

The fight to save Workington’s closure-threatened HMV store is not over yet according to the boss of the town’s shopping centre.

When the town centre music store was revealed as one of the earmarked stores to shut its doors next month, Dave Fletcher vowed to work with administrators to strike up a deal for the branch to stay in the town.

The development manager of Washington Square Shopping Centre has now told the News & Star that the “fight is not over.”

Mr Fletcher said that he has put his case over to the administrators Deloitte and is now awaiting a reply.

“We are waiting for them (Deloitte) to come back to us,” he said. “But I can assure you that the fight is not over – we are still fighting behind the scenes.”

HMV went into administration last month after facing intense competition from online retailers, digital downloads and supermarkets in recent years. But hopes of a rescue deal were raised after restructuring firm Hilco bought the company’s £176m of debt.

Workington was hit with the devastating news last Thursday that the doomed shop was among 66 earmarked to close their doors. On Wednesday it was announced that another 37 stores across the country were also shutting, taking the total number of job losses since it collapsed to more than 1,600.

If the bid to keep the Workington store open is not successful, the store is expected to close next month, with 10 staff losing their jobs. The Carlisle store has escaped the wave of closures and will remain open.

Hilco, which turned around the fortunes of HMV’s Canadian arm, and Deloitte believe that for the chain to emerge as a viable high street retailer it must slash its shop numbers to between 120 and 160.

First published at 11:24, Friday, 22 February 2013
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk