JJB Sports in Riverside, Norwich has closed. Notice posted on the window. Picture David Bale

Update: 52 jobs lost with closure of JJB Sports stores in Norwich, Yarmouth and King’s Lynn

David Bale Monday, October 1, 2012
5:28 PM

Sports retailer JJB Sports has closed in Riverside, Norwich with the loss of 26 jobs.

JJB Sports in Riverside, Norwich has closed. Picture David Bale

Staff were told this morning that the store was one of 133 closing across the country and that they were being made redundant with immediate effect.

The JJB Stores in Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn have also closed, with the loss of seven and 19 jobs respectively.

A notice posted on the window of the Norwich store said, ‘Due to circumstances out of our hands we are closed today’.

Sports Direct has acquired 20 of JJB’s stores, the brand and website, securing around 550 jobs in the UK, including the staff at the company’s warehouse.

But the closure of the remaining 133 stores has resulted in about 2,200 redundancies. A total of 167 employees have been retained to assist the administrators.

Richard Fleming, UK head of restructuring at administrator, KPMG, said: “Unfortunately a buyer could only be found for 20 stores on a going concern basis. All staff made redundant as a result of store closures have had their arrears of wages and holiday entitlements paid in full. Our team of employment specialists will be supporting staff on completing redundancy forms and putting them in touch with job seeker services. We will now be reviewing what options are available for the remainder of the business, such as selling leasehold interests.”

JJB’s last set of full-year results revealed that like-for-like sales had fallen 13.1 per cent in the 12 months to the end of January, leading to a pre-tax loss of £101.1m.

Were you one of the JJB staff made redundant in Norwich? Call reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk

13 comments

@Daisy. Whilst I agree with yo that there wasn't anything Mr Newmann could have done about this cas I also have to agree with Fester and enquire what exactly is it Mr Newmann does now to justify his publically funded wage packet? The list of empty shops and closures just grows and grows and grows. The list of companies creating new jobs...Sea Jacks. Not so much a finger in the dyke more like Canute turning the tide.

Report this comment

ThePresence

Wednesday, October 3, 2012
I work close by to the branch in Yarmouth so always popped in to look for a new pair of trainers, but never saw anything that I liked. Just overpriced, poor quality, bottom of range of big sport brand names. Not surprised they are closing. No fault of shop staff..

Report this comment

vegas

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I work close by to the branch in Yarmouth so always popped in to look for a new pair of trainers, but never saw anything that I liked. Just overpriced, poor quality, bottom of range of big sport brand names. Not surprised they are closing. No fault of shop staff..

Report this comment

vegas

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I work close by to the branch in Yarmouth so always popped in to look for a new pair of trainers, but never saw anything that I liked. Just overpriced, poor quality, bottom of range of big sport brand names. Not surprised they are closing. No fault of shop staff..

Report this comment

vegas

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I'm personally gutted that JJB is closing, where else in town can I now stand eating chips & laugh at the chavs coming out of the door with their shiny new trainers on...init yeah man

Report this comment

Cynic

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
@BL58 technically it would actually be the third lap dancing club as, guess what? The Longbar and Angels have closed for good!!!! Quelle surprise!!! Would the last peson to leave Yarmouth please turn out the lights, thank you Mr Newmann...

Report this comment

fester1902

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
It's all part of the plan to centralise the retail infrastructure. Retailers are closing local stores in favour of online ventures. It cuts costs and lowers carbon emissions (which they get rewarded for doing). It's happening everywhere - I don't think this is the master plan from one individual in GYBC. On the plus side though - we've gained a new charity shop. Come to Sunny Great Yarmouth, flea market of the east!

Report this comment

Caister Waster

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Put another bookmakers in there and a fourth lapdancing club thats all the council are interested in.

Report this comment

BL58

Tuesday, October 2, 2012
A rubbish firm selling rubbish goods,but all sympathy to those made reduntant,and yet other sportswear shops sill have a contiuous closing down sale of yet more rubbish,no doubt these will fall too

Report this comment

Albert Cooper

Monday, October 1, 2012
Absolutely Fester. Not much Mr Newman could have done about this and I begin to suspect that there is little he can do to save Yarmouth. Just speculating but it looks to me that the rapid changes to the demography of Great Yarmouth in recent years have to mean that the average income per head has fallen like a stone. A town with few employment opportunities cannot survive the flight of some of its employed population to outlying villages and suburbs from where they may not even spend their money in the town centre, to be replaced by a population with low skills, low levels of employment, high benefit dependency and low disposable income. In a nutshell could it be that the people who live and shop in Great Yarmouth don't have any money to spend, and many people in the borough of Great Yarmouth who once lived or shopped (or both) in the town don't anymore. Unless there is a sudden increase in year round jobs for unskilled and semi skilled workers and more money floating around I can't see Yarmouth town centre ever attracting some decent shops back.

Report this comment

Daisy Roots

Monday, October 1, 2012
Looks like all the chavs,fat folk and migrants will have to find some other cheap shop to buy their best clothes and grey flannel tracksuit bottoms.

Report this comment

wes1975

Monday, October 1, 2012
This is tragic for the poor people who have lot their jobs, I really feel for them. It's traic too for Gt Yarmouth as YET ANOTHER shop closes in the town centre. When will Mr Newmann tell us all exactly what the plans are to rejuvenate the town centre. His silence has been deafening but then as long as he gets paid every month he's in a lot better boat than most of the people who used to work on his patch.

Report this comment

fester1902

Monday, October 1, 2012
Perhaps the reporters at Archant would like to interview Yarmouths wonderful Town Centre Manager to find out what exactly it is he does all day to justify his rediculous salary. Yarmouth council have to find savings, here is a start. >> The Town Centre Manager fiddles, whilst Yarmouth burns spring to mind, just like Nero

Report this comment

"V"

Monday, October 1, 2012

More business news

Dredging to resume at Wells today but concerns of a ‘disaster’ remain for the future

Businesses can breath a sigh of relief at the news that dredging operations at Wells will resume today after being suspended for more than two months over a licensing issue.

Read full story »