By Mal Butler
Two branches of W Hurst & Son have been saved from the axe, with managing director, Jevon Kennedy, paying tribute to customers and staff for their loyalty.
The Freshwater and Shanklin branches had been given a stay of execution last summer, following the closure of Ventnor. But following a series of cost-saving measures and voluntary redundancies, the business says it has now streamlined its operations and the branches will remain open.
Speaking this week, Mr Kennedy said: “If you go back to early summer last year, we knew we had to act. We had to deal with economic realities and make voluntary redundancies.
“It was extremely challenging in Ventnor and Freshwater, and we were going to close both those branches. At the time, I spoke to local councillors, and considered local feedback, and we decided to keep open Freshwater for the remainder of last year.
“The plan was to complete a full financial review of the company, and knew this would take several months to do. Following the review, we saw that Shanklin and Freshwater were not out of line with our other branches.
“We saw a positive reaction in Shanklin, partly due to the closure in Ventnor. In Freshwater, we reduced costs and the branch now is run by three staff and there are other changes, like closing for an extra day during the week.
“The staff in both locations have got behind us and are incredibly loyal. The decision to keep the two branches open was also driven largely by the support shown by the local communities.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the residents who chose to shop locally during this period of uncertainty.
“We are now planning for the future but continue to be cautious. We need people to continue to shop local. Despite all these changes, we have maintained our traditional values and services.”
W Hurst & Son was founded more than 165 years ago, but continues to evolve. To compete in the digital age, the retailer has doubled down on its “Try Hurst First” initiative, pairing its traditional face-to-face expertise with a robust on-line ordering system and Island-wide delivery.
Carole Dennett