McKenzies close store; eight lose jobs

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 10

McKenzies close store; eight lose jobs

McKenzies, Ltd, plans to close down one of its two central Hamilton variety stores—three months after putting staff at several branches on short hours.

The company’s Hamilton South store will be shut in October, leaving up to eight employees without a job. Three of the firm’s Hamilton staff last month were offered the choice of parttime work or job termination. Employees at other Branches had their hours cut —some by half—in a "rationalisation,” which Shop Assistants’ Union officials said was the result of falling reta : . turn-over.

However, company spokesmen have denied any drop in sales, and the national sales manager of McKenzies (Mr B. G. Bensley) said that the closing had nothing to do with the earlier cuts in working hours. The shut-down had been inevitable, he said, because the two Hamilton stores were so close. They are about 200 metres apart, in Victoria Street. The decision had been made to consolidate trade in the Hamilton North store, but staff from the Southern branch could not be absorbed there, he said.

The firm had already begun negotiations on the redundancies with the Shop Assistants’ Union. No other rationalisation moves were being planned, Mr Bensley said.