Peacocks to reopen shops and save jobs

Embattled fashion chain Peacocks is reopening some of its shops – including two in the Midlands which shut with the loss of several jobs.

Staff have been given their jobs back at branches in the Wulfrun Centre in Wolverhampton and the Merry Hill shopping centre in Dudley, which re-opened earlier this month.

The two were among branches which shut in February, as well as Stafford, West Bromwich, Brierley Hill and Halesowen, resulting in 93 job losses.

Peacocks was bought out of administration at the time by the Edinburgh Woollen Mill, but 224 shops remained closed nationally.

However staff moved back into the shop in the city centre of Wolverhampton yesterday and began to re-stock it with clothes as another four shops around the country are due to reopen this week as well.

It is not yet known if any other shops in the region will reopen.

Manager Chris Reece, who is one of the staff to get his job back, said: "We're opening at 9am on Thursday. The majority of staff here are the same as before."

Stores in Bentley Bridge, Wednesbury, Bilston and Walsall remained open and continue to trade as before.

Wolverhampton's city centre company WV welcomed the news.