Blow for Hawick High Street as Semichem announces closure

Hawick High Street has been dealt another blow with the closure of health and household goods store Semichem.
Semichem in Hawick High Street.Semichem in Hawick High Street.
Semichem in Hawick High Street.

The Hawick store, which employs five people, is one of 22 across Scotland Northern Ireland and North East England set to close its doors for good, the company has announced.

It said the closures have been prompted by ongoing challenges to high street trading, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The business, owned by community retailer Scotmid Co-operative, is in talks with landlords in several locations and will make a final decision on a small number of the 22 stores in the coming months.

Semichem shops in Kelso and Peebles will remain open.

However there is no hope for the Hawick store, which it says will definitely close.

A total of 140 Semichem staff have now entered a formal consultation process. Management at Scotmid are exploring opportunities to redeploy as many as possible within its wider business.

Karen Scott, head of Semichem, said: “The high street was already struggling to adapt to the pace of change in shopping habits, including out-of-town developments and the rise of internet shopping.

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“That change has undoubtedly been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, we have reached the point where it is no longer viable to keep some of our stores open.

“We are grateful for both Scotmid and subsequent government support, which has undoubtedly prolonged the life of many stores.

“Our priority now is to support affected colleagues at this difficult time. We are already looking for redeployment opportunities within the Scotmid group and will help all our staff both personally and professionally.”

Ms Scott added: “The remaining stores in our Semichem portfolio are trading satisfactorily given the current circumstances.

"Like many other retailers, we are hopeful that, as restrictions ease, footfall will return to our high streets.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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