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Closed Peacocks store, Woolshops Shopping Centre, Halifax

Fashion retail chain Peacocks went into administration in January 2011. The chain was bought by Edinburgh Woollen Mills in February of that year, who announced the immediate closure of 244 stores. These included those in Halifax and Brighouse. When I passed on the morning of the 24th February the window display lights were still on and stock still in place, but notices on the doors announced the store had closed. The building was vacated two weeks later.

The store location is at the southern end of Square, near the northern entrance to the Piece Hall. Most shoppers don't stray from the main part of the Woolshops which leads from Market Street to Superdrug, the Marks and Spencer store and the car park. Square already had a number of empty units - the relatively lack of footfall may account for the decision to close this store.

Update: The new owners of Peacocks subsequently re-opened 40 of the closed stores. The Halifax branch re-opened on 1 June 2012.