Mothercare is to pull out of the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon.

No closing date has yet been decided, but the store is already holding a closing down sale with shoes going for as little as £2 a pair and maternity dresses for £5.

The store is next to C&A which announced it was pulling out the centre a year ago. That unit remains vacant.

C&A closed several stores, including Southend, as part of a national cutback in its number of outlets. Mothercare has decided to focus on its larger Mothercare World stores, such as the one on the Mayflower Retail Park, Gardiners Lane North, Basildon.

A spokesman, said: "We have been doing extensive market research into where customers needs are. We will be closing some stores and opening others in new areas.

"We have found that where there is a Mothercare World and a Mothercare UK nearby, it is in our best interests to close down the smaller store and invest in the bigger one where we can offer better check-outs, wider aisles and more services."

Staff at the Eastgate store will be relocated to other stores and there will be no redundancies. Loraine Rossati, chairman of Basildon District Council's environment committee, said: "It's always a shame to see prominent stores close in the town centre.

"But again this is part of a national trend and Mothercare, like others, is rationalising their retail output. I'm sure that the premises in the Eastgate Centre will be occupied very soon by another exciting store."

Hans Wustefeld, manager of the Eastgate Centre, said: "Mothercare is closing branches throughout the country because of a restructuring programme so it is not just Basildon which is affected.

"Mothercare still had several years on its lease and so it is up to the company to find a new occupier."

Closing - Eastgate's Mothercare store

Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

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