Sadness but no surprise at collapse of landmark Mansfield store

Beales, one of Britain's oldest department stores, announced yesterday, January 20, it had appointed KPMG as adminstrators after suffering losses of £31 million, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

The store began trading in 1881 and has 22 shops, including in Mansfield’s Four Seasons Shopping Centre, which are now at risk of closure.

Posting on the Chad's Facebook page – fb.com/mansfieldchad – Carly Nazar wrote: “Oh my God, my mum, myself and my daughter love Beales.”

Geoff Revill posted: “I recall going in there with my mother in the 1950s when it was the Co-op. Such a shame. Hopefully they’ll find a buyer.”

Faye Griffin said: “What a shame. I love this store, but it has sadly been struggling for a while now.

“Not everyone drives or is able to walk very far, so a store like Beales that is close to a bus station and in the town centre is a great asset.”

Patricia Severn called it “just another nail in the coffin” for shops in Mansfield. She said: “That will be dreadful for the staff. I got all my beds and furniture from there over the years.”

However, Alison Argent called Beales “overpriced and outdated”, while Sarah Saz Jones said: “I'm amazed it's lasted as long as it had.”

And Simon Plackett said: “It’s not the store it used to be. It's been coming for a while, sadly.”

The news about Beales came just days after high street giant Game announced the closure of 40 of its stores, including its branch in Four Seasons.

Lyn Jones posted: “There’ll be no shops left in Mansfield at this rate.”

Eileen Bosson said: “It's so sad all the shop's closing.”

And Leanne Jane Mayes wrote: “Mansfield has gone downhill big time.”

Natasha Lomas said: “Mansfield will be a ghost town very soon. We have more nail bars than anything. We seriously need so decent shops in town.”