A HISTORIC family-run bakery may reopen some of its stores after it was forced to close all of its locations and let 100 employees go.
The owner of beloved store Oddie’s, which was based in Nelson, Lancashire, has said that she is hopeful seven of its 13 shops will reopen.
Oddie’s, the bakery which recently closed all its stores, may reopen[/caption]
Oddie’s was severely impacted by higher energy costs and a sharp decline in high-street footfall[/caption]
The baked goods chain – established in 1905 and run by the same family ever since – managed to stay open through both World Wars, the Great Depression and the Covid pandemic.
But managing director Lara Oddie has shown hope that negotiations may result in a return for the beloved franchise.
She said: “If negotiations go well and certain recipes change hands, you might see your particular favourite make a reappearance.”
Founded at the start of the 20th century by William Henry Oddie, the chain operates 13 stores in locations such as Burnley, Colne, Foulridge, Nelson, Padiham, and Todmorden, alongside a central bakery in Nelson.
The business is renowned for its traditional bread, savoury pastries, and sweet treats.
Over the decades, Oddie’s has weathered monumental challenges, including two world wars, the Great Depression, and the fall of Lancashire’s cotton industry.
The much loved fourth-generation shop also survived the pandemic, during which the shop rationalised its product range, staff, and outlets to adapt to changing conditions.
Despite its resilience, Oddie’s has been severely impacted by soaring energy costs, which have quadrupled, as well as a sharp decline in high-street footfall.
Lara also spoke about her experience trying to keep the business afloat.
“I worked behind the scenes really hard all last year on a deal and literally three weeks before it was meant to happen, the guy pulled out, which left me with very few options and fewer resources,” she said.
“But, since the announcements have been made more public, other people have come out of the woodwork.
“So, I am still negotiating with interested parties behind the scenes and I’ve got everything crossed that maybe seven of my shops would reopen shortly.”
Why are retailers closing stores?
RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis.
High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going.
However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector.
The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury’s hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion.
At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40.
The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year.
It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year.
Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: “The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025.”
It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024.
End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker.
It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date.
This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023.
It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns.
The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker.
Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations.
Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes.
Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector.
“By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer’s household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020.”
Lara also said a third of the employees had worked for the bakery for more than 20 years and that they “are like a family”.
“It’s very sad and it’s been heartbreaking for all of us,” she added.
The firm previously said the pandemic had “a profound impact on the business’ ability to operate at levels we were accustomed to”.
