The future of a national chain of jewellers located on Newport High Street looks bleak as Tesco plans to take over the store – but no one knows if the jewellers will relocate elsewhere.
In plans submitted to the Isle of Wight Council, the supermarket giant is looking to join together 35 and 36 Newport High Street — the now-empty Laura Ashley store but the still-open H Samuel shop.
Planning documents submitted by Tesco’s planning agents, ROK Planning, describe the store as ‘formerly being used’ by H Samuel. However, the shop on Newport High Street is still very much open, with staff working and products available to buy – but that now seems to be under threat.
Staff at the store said they had been told nothing and were still in the dark about the plans.
A spokesperson for H Samuel did not confirm the store’s future and when pressed for an answer said they would not comment further.
In a statement, they said:
“Our stores remain central to our long-term growth strategy and we continue to invest in them, ensuring they are in locations where they best serve our customers, which includes the Isle of Wight, keeping in step with their demands, including the many customers who start their shopping journey online.”
In the row of 5 units on Newport High Street, H Samuel is 1 of only 2 shops currently occupied — the other being Cherry Godfrey. The 3 empty units include the former stores of Laura Ashley, Animal and Carphone Warehouse but the latter unit has been empty since the phone shop moved with only pop-up shops and exhibits filling the space.
If the planning application is granted by the Isle of Wight Council, the 2 stores could be joined together, with internal partitions removed to create an open floor area.
The Council is expected to make a decision by the end of the month.
Don’t know why Tesco is bothering to open there. Newport is dead. Who will shop there?
If this goes ahead it will just prove the council have no real interest in the Town’s much needed regeneration.
Farewell town shopping hello online buying.
Come on Tesco, what are you doing? There’s a cost of living crisis going on! Now’s the time when people need more expensive jewellery!!
H Samuel is much better online.
Went to this store a few years ago, rude staff.
It was only a matter of time before Samuel’s wrapped up this branch.
It’s not even needed, how many late night booze shops does the town have already?
We need real shops to boost the economy not this rubbish.
Shame on you IoW Council for even entertaining the idea.
Support our local jewellers H Samuel’s aren’t a huge loss Gerald Ratner castigated his own empire (with regret) he recognised it’s tackiness I’m not a Tesco fan but endorse our local business heroes whom will disappear
if tesco get this shop agreed it will put the one directly across the road out of business and it won’t bring in more people to shop in Newport because some Richard head wants to remove the parking on the High Street as well.
Let’s face it the high Street is dieing and tesco in the high Street please bloody nice tourist attraction that will bring in customers NOT! Lower the business rates and put our own shops in like the garlic farm or Godshill cider barn, some small market stalls indoors all year round.
I’m just fed up of seeing more empty shops and to many crap ones we don’t need. No more charity shops or bloody coffee shops.
You can’t compare Central to Tesco who will offer decent food as well as booze. Central are OK if you want a newspaper, a bottle of wine & a pot noodle but anything like fruit & veg or something for dinner on the way home there’s nothing in town now the co-op has gone. Maybe we’ll even get a post office back
Tesco’s are well ahead of the game, it won’t be long before the the shops in the high street at that end will change from retail to residential. Then they will have all the custom they need. But I do have to query how our ” Council” are even considering it, when it’s going to kill off the shop opposite. If Tesco really wanted to be in Newport, why didn’t they take the ready made Coop site.
Bring on the tesco got my club card at the ready