A Merseyside high street is turning into a "ghost town" after the recent loss of Iceland.
In July of this year, Iceland announced that it would be closing, its Grange Road store in Birkenhead. The loss of the supermarket has been acutely felt by those in town, for many it signifies the steady decline of the struggling high street.
The closure was followed by Wilko at The Europa Centre following the retailer’s administration. It is one of a number of budget stores that once served the people of the town.
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Dee, 63, told the ECHO: “It is disgusting, and another major shop is gone. Look at the state of the area, it is depressing coming into town. We have lost Wilkos, B&M, Pound Stretcher, and now Iceland.
“It is a terrible decline, and we have only one supermarket now. I get bits in both but I was in Iceland every week. We are going to miss it and we used it… The high street is a mess.”
A spokesperson for Iceland told our sister site The Mirror in July that the supermarket continually "reviews the retail experience” offered to customers and closes several stores every year. They went on to say that the company has recorded record market shares this year.
However, this does not matter to those in Birkenhead, who will now have to travel to nearby Tranmere if they want to shop in Iceland. Kim Jackson was out shopping with her sister Ann when the ECHO visited Grange Road, she used to shop in Iceland every week.
The 59-year-old said: “I’m gutted because I did most of my shops in Iceland and it is better than Asda. I went in every day and I liked the pound meals.
“It can’t be good for the high street if Iceland can’t survive once you see one go, you worry they all will. It is going to be like a ghost town soon.” Her sister Ann said: “I never thought it would go and we want Iceland back. We miss it.”
In May it was announced that Wirral Council had purchased The Grange and The Pyramids shopping centres as part of its Birkenhead 2040 plan to revitalise the town.
They had been put up for sale by Mars Pension Fund. The town centre regeneration is part of a wider series of major schemes linking up across Birkenhead, along the Mersey Left Bank area from Bromborough through Wirral Waters to Seacombe, Liscard, and New Brighton.
Dee who has lived in Birkenhead all her life said: “The problem is there are quite a lot of supermarkets and Iceland is mainly frozen foods and you can get more stuff in Asda. Even though I live close I don’t come downtown much, anyone.
“Shopping centres have died and people shop online but I don’t like it. There is not a lot here anymore but I prefer to come out when I’m food or clothes shopping.
"They are struggling and everywhere you go you see empty shops. I would be annoyed if this high street went under.”
Iceland has been approached for a comment.
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