Black Country Chamber bemoans High Street's continued woes amid Thorntons closures

It comes as Thorntons announced it would be closing its stores earlier this week.

It means an even less certain future for the high street and independent businesses as they wait to see if they will be allowed to open on April 12.

The Black Country Chamber of Commerce say the "stop, start and the long shutdowns" have not helped businesses who are struggling – while the mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said it was "mission critical" to get those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic back into work.

Neil Anderson, director of external affairs at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, said: "It’s been an incredibly tough time for retailers, with the stop, start and the long shutdowns have certainly not helped.

"We know that many retailers have had to adapt to operating in different ways, there have been some incredible stories of businesses pivoting to try and carry on despite the lockdowns, including many who have had to provide online retail services, click and collect or even home deliveries, and they are definitely looking forward to being able to trade safely when footfall returns as lockdown ends.

"Thorntons on the high street is yet another casualty of the pandemic and our hearts go out to those who are affected. The company, founded in 1911, has been around a long time and its high street stores are the chocolate shops we have all grown up with, closure of its stores in Walsall and at the Merry Hill will affect workers in our region.

Support

"The Black Country Chamber remains on hand to support our members and we will continue to call for support for all business sectors affected by this pandemic."

Chris Plant, director of membership at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, said: “The closure of Thorntons, following the administration of Debenhams and Arcadia Group, is yet another blow to the high street.

"The new support packages revealed in the Chancellor’s Budget have gone some way to support high street retailers, but still many face an uncertain future and will need extra support from the Government to survive the year.

"If any business requires support or is uncertain about what next steps to take we urge them to call us on 01782 202222.”

Mr Street, who was also the former boss at John Lewis, added: “The loss of any big high street brand like Thorntons is always a sad day, and underlines just how much economic damage the coronavirus pandemic has caused.

"What is mission critical right now is helping those in the West Midlands who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic back into work, which is why I have set out my mayoral jobs plan to create 100,000 jobs in the next two years.

“I am a firm believer in the future of the high street despite the losses caused by the pandemic, and actually some of the smaller, more local, high streets across the region have thrived in the pandemic.

"What I think has to change is the make-up of our big town and city centres, with less focus on retail and more space dedicated to housing, public services such as the NHS, and businesses.”